4-3 fr- 



IF © 



4^ 





fcn&n. 



A 

GUIDE 



TO THE 



MOUNT'S BAY 

AND THE 

LAND'S END; 

COMPREHENDING THE 

TOPOGRAPHY, BOTANY, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, 

ANTIQUITIES, MINING, MINERALOGY 

AND GEOLOGY OF 

UXzmm Cornwall 



SECOND EDITION. 



To which is added, for the information of Invalids, 

A DIALOGUE ON THE PECULIAR ADVANTAGES OF THE CLIMATES 

OF PENZANCE, DEVONSHIRE, AND THE 

SOUTHERN PARTS OF EUROPE. 



By a PHYSICIAN. 

/• 

Auditque suis tria littora carapis." 



LONDON: 



PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. PHILLIPS, 

GEORGE YARD, LOMBARD STREET: 

SOLD ALSO BY T. VIGURS V PENZANCE; AND W. AND C. TAIT, 

EDINBURGH. 



1824. 



/ £-9/ 



TO 

/J 

THE VICE PATRONS/ PRESIDENT, 

VICE PRESIDENTS, 
AND MEMBERS 

OF 

Cfce JBopl (theological ^>ociet? of CorotoaH, 

THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED, 

A> A HUMBLE, YET SINCERE TRIBUTE OF RESPECT, 

TOR THE ZEAL AND LIBERALITY WITH WHICH THEY CONTINUE 
TO UPHOLD 

AN INSTITUTION 

;> WHICH HAS RENDERED THEIR HOME THE SCHOOL OF 
SCIENCE, 

AND THEIR NATIVE RICHES INCREASING SOURCES 
OF PROSPERITY." 



TO THE READER, 



This little volume has been republished, at 
the earnest solicitation of numerous friends and 
applicants, and with such additions and improve- 
ments as the present extended state of information 
appeared to render necessary. In obeying this 
call, the author trusts that he may, in some 
degree, remove the prejudice to which the care- 
lessness of his provincial compositor must, on 
the former occasion, have exposed the work. 

Since the publication of the first Edition, 
Penzance, and the District of the Mount's Bay, 
have become objects of greatly increased interest ; 
the successful establishment of the Geological 
Society, — the erection of commodious Sea Baths, 
— the growing confidence of the Public, and of 
a 



vi To the Reader. 

the medical profession, in the superior mildness 
of the climate, — and the general amelioration of 
every thing connected with the wants and com- 
forts of a winter residence, have powerfully 
operated in augmenting the influx of strangers 
and invalids, into this formerly obscure, and 
comparatively neglected district. Such consider- 
ations, it will be acknowledged, were quite suf- 
ficient to sanction the propriety and expediency 
of the present undertaking, but the author must 
in candour allow, that they would scarcely have 
prevailed, had not another powerful motive been 
in silent but effectual co-operation — the "Antiques 
vestigia Flammce" — a secret lingering after the 
pursuits of Geology have, for once at least, sedu- 
ced him from a resolution he had formed on 
quitting Cornwall, — that of abandoning a science 
which can never be pursued except with enthu- 
siasm ; but which, from its direction and tendency, 
is wholly incompatible with the duties of an 
anxious and laborious profession. 

As the work is calculated for the guidance of 
those who may seek the shores of the Mounts 
Bay, for its genial atmosphere, the introduction 



To the Reader. vii 

of some general observations upon the subject 
of Climate, appeared essentially necessary. For 
this purpose, the form of a Dialogue has been 
preferred to that of a Didactic essay ; by which 
much circumlocution is avoided, while the only 
interesting parts of the question are thus made 
to appear in a more prominent and popular point 
of view. 

The Cornish Dialogue, introduced in the 
Appendix, for the sake of illustrating the pro- 
vincial Dialect, has been composed after the 
model of the well known " Tim Bobbin," which 
was written for the accomplishment of the same 
object, with reference to Lancashire. From the 
direction in which it came into the hands of the 
author, he is inclined to consider it as an hither- 
to unpublished production of the celebrated Dr. 
Walcott. Valete. 



a c 2 



CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 

OF THE MOUNT'S BAY, AND THE LAND's END 
DISTRICT. 

(Page I.) 

TheMount's Bay — Its Topography and Scenery, 1. — 
Northern Shores, their aspect cheerless but interest- 
ing, 3. — Minerals and Antiquities, 4. — The Climate 
of Mount's Bay, 5. — Meteorological Records, 5. — 
Vegetation, 6. — Tender Exotics flourish in the open 
air, 7, — Proofs of superior mildness from the animal 
kingdom, 9. — Coolness of the Summer, 10. — Rain ; 
Storms, 11. — Hurricane of 1817, 14. — Encroach- 
ments of the Sea, 16. — The Bay formerly a wood- 
land, 17. — Causes of theSea's inundation, 18. — Rapid 
decomposition of the Cornish hills, 19. — Penzance — 
an eligible residence, 22. — Its situation most beauti- 
ful, — Extraordinary fertility of the neighbouring 
lands, 23. — Corporation — Pier — Chapel — Meeting 
Houses, 24. — Penzance a Coinage Town,25. — Public 
Dispensary, 25. — Royal Geological Society of 
Cornwall, 26. — Its Cabinet of Minerals, 27. — 



s Contents. 

Laboratory, 29. — Accidents from explosion in Mines 
prevented by the scientific efforts of the Society, 30. — 
Miner alogical Collection of Joseph Carne, Esq. 31. — 
Penwith Agricultural Society, 32. — Penzance Mar- 
ket, 33. — Wildfowl and fish abundant and cheap, — 
Newlyn Fish-women remarkable for their beauty, 
33. — Public Hot and Cold Sea Baths, 34. — 
Beautiful prospect from the waiting room, 35. — 
Packet to Scilly, 35. — Ancient Customs — Festivities 
at Midsummer, 36. — Penzance remarkable in his- 
tory from having been burnt by the Spaniards, 38. — 
Tobacco first smoked in this town, 39. — The birth 
place of Sir Humphry Davy, 40. — List of Indige- 
nous Plants of Western Cornwall, 41, tyc. 

EXCURSION I. 

(Page 45) 

TO SAINT MICHAEI/s MOUNT. 

Aft object of the very first interest — Excursion by 
water — By land, 45. — The Eastern Green celebrated 
as the habitat of some rare plants, 46. — Marazion, 
or Market Jew, 47. — Its origin and Charter, 47. — 
Chapel Rock, AS.— Arrival at Saint Michael's 
Mount, 49.— Conical form of the hill— Its dimen- 
sions—Town at its base— The Pier— Interesting as 
a geological object, 50.— Why— Its scenery most 
m agnificent — Geological structure, 51. — Militates 
against the Wernerian doctrines — De Luc's impro- 
bable explanation, 51. — Dr. Berger's gratuitous 
assumption, 52. — Plutonian views, 52. — Western 



Contents. -\i 

base of the Mount— -Beds of Granite, 53. — Quartz 
veins — Interesting contents of the veins, 55. — Finite 
discovered in this spot, 55. — Other minerals, 58. — 
Lodes of Tin and Copper — Remains of a Tin Mine 
— Veins of Mica, 57 — The Tamarisk, 57. — Ascent to 
the Castle, 57. — Ancient Fortifications — The Chevy- 
chace room, 58. — The Chapel, 59. — Mysterious dis- 
covery in the Chapel, 59. — More Discoveries— Ascent 
to the top of the tower — Prospect hence of the grand- 
est description, 60. — Saint Michael's Chair — Its ori- 
gin and supposed mystic powers-^ A remnant of 
Monkish fable, 61. — The modern Apartments, 62. — 
The Natural History of the Hill — Formerly 
cloathed with wood — Its old Cornish appellation, 62. 
— Once at a distance from the sea, 63. — Ecclesias- 
tical History— Monkish Legends of the vision 
of Saint Michael, 63.— Saint Keyne's Pilgrimage to 
the Mount in the fifth century, 64. — The Confessor's 
Endowment, 65. — Ancient instrument A.D. 1070 
found amongst its registers, 65 — Annexed to a Nor- 
man Priory at the Conquest, 66. — The Nunnery — 
Its establishment broken up — The connection of the 
Priory with Normandy destroyed, 67. — Granted by 
Henry the Sixth to King's College Cambridge, 67. — 
Transferred by Edward IV. to the Nunnery of Sion 
in Middlesex, 68. — Bestowed upon Lord Arundel at 
the Reformation, 68. — Its Private History con- 
tinued, 69. Military History. — Pomeroy's 

Treachery — Monks expelled — Monks restored, 70. — 
The Mount is again reduced by the Earl of Oxford, 
71, — who in his turn is compelled to surrender to the 
forces of Edward the Fourth, 71. — The Lady 



xii Contents. 

Catherine Gordon, wife of Per kin War beck, flies to 
the Mount for safety, 71. — Besieged by the Cornish 
rebels in the reign of Edward VI, 71. — Reduced by 
Colonel Hammond during the Civil war of Charles 
theFirst, 72. — TheMount supposed by Sir Christopher 
Hawkins and Dr. Maton to be the Ictim ofDiodorus 
Siculus, 73. 

EXCURSION II. 

(Page 74) 
TO THE LAND's END, LOGAN ROCK, &c. 

Intermediate objects worthy of notice, 74. — Castle Hor- 
neck, 75. — Rose Hill — Trereiffe, 76. — The country 
wild but susceptible of cultivation, 77. — Furze — 
Boulders of Granite, 77. — Capable of numerous ap- 
plications in rural ceconomy, 78. — Cornish Granite, 
(provincially, GrowanJ, when in a state of decomposi- 
tion is used as a manure, 79. — Theory of its operation, 
79. — Form of the Felspar crystals, 79. — State of 
Agriculture — The Farm of John Scobcll, Esq. at 
Leha, 80. — ArishMows, 81. — Ancient Stone foosses, 
81. — Druidical Circle atBoscawenUn, 81. — Opinions 
concerning the origin of such circles, 82. — Chapel 
Euny, and its mystic well, 82. — Caerbran Round, 
83. — Other Hill Castles, 84. — Chapel Cam Bre— 
Its origin, 84. — Commands a very extensive view, 
85. — Sennan Church-town — The First and Last Inn 
in England, $5.— The Village of Mayon or Mean, 
$5, — Table Mean the vague tradition concerning. 8(>. 
— TjjeLaxd's Eyn, 8fl. — A Spot of great geological 



Contents, xiii 

interest, 87. — Grotesque appearance of its granitic 
rocks, 87. — The Armed Knight, Irish Lady, and 
Dr. Johnson's Head, 88. — Cape Cornwall, and Whit- 
sand Bay, 88. — Historical recollections, 88. — The 
Long-Ships Light-house, 89. — Tradition of the 
Lioness, 91. — The Wolf rock, 91. — The Scilly 
Islands, 92. — Ancient Accounts — Six of the Islets 
only inhabited, 92. — Saint Agnes, 93. — The Light- 
house, 93. — Civil Government of the Islands, 93. — 
Present inhabitants all new comers, 94 — A robust 
and healthy race, 94. — Their employment, 96.— 
Experience great distress, 96. — Curious fact with 
respect to the migration of the Woodcock, 98. — 
Climate andGeology, 99. — Return to theLand's 
End — Fine rock Scenery at the Cape near the Signal 
Station, 10\.—Tol Pedn Penwith, 102.— Cornish 
Chough — A Cliff Castle, 102- — Castle Treryn — 
Stupendous Rock Scenery— ~Tiie Logan Rock, 103. 
Its weight, 103. — How and whence it came, 104. — 
A natural production, 104. — Its appearance easily 
reconciled with the known laws of decomposition, 105. 
— Used probably by the Druids as an engine of 
superstition, 105. — Plants — Geological phenomena, 
106. — Rare Shells to be found in Treryn Cove, 107. 
— Saint Bury an, once the seat of a College of 
Augustine Canons, 108. — Church Tower commands 
a very extensive prospect — Remarkable ancient Mo- 
nument in the church, 109. — Ancient Crosses, 1 10. — 
The Deanery, 111. — The supposed Sanctuary, 111. 
Return to Penzance by a circuitous route, through 
(he parish of Saint Paul, 1 11. — Boskenna, the ro- 
mantic seat of John Paynter, Esq. 11 2. — A Druidical 



xiv Contents , 

circle, called the Merry Maidens, 112. — Sepulchral 
Stones called the Pipers, 113. — Carn Boscawen, 
Pensile Stone at, 113. — Trove or Trezooof, the re- 
mains of a triple entrenchment at, 113. — The romantic 
valley of Lemorna, 113. — Kerris, supposed Druidical 
monument at, 114. — Paul Church, 114. — Epitaph 
of Dolly Pentreath, 115.— Mousehole and Newlyn, 
Colonies of Fishermen, 116. — Geological phenomena, 
117. 

EXCURSION III. 

{Page 119) 

TO BOTALLACK MINE; CAPE CORNWALL; AND THE 
MINING DISTRICT OF SAINT JUST. 

Plan of the excursion, 119. — Nancealverne, the seat of 
John Scobell,Esq. — Poltair, of Edward Scobell, Esq. 
— and Trengwainton, of Sir Rose Price, Bart. 119. 
— Original Paintings by Opie, 120. — Village of 
Madron, 120. — Madron Well and Baptistry; An- 
cient Superstitions attached to it, 121. — Lanyon 
Cromlech (represented in the title page of this work) 
known by the name of the Gianfs Quoit, 122. — 
Its supposed origin, 123. — Men-an-Tol, 124. — Men 
Skryfa, or the Inscribed Stone, 125. — Chun Castle, 
126. — Stamping Mills, Burning Houses, or Roasting 
Furnaces, 127. — Cavern at Pendeen, 126. — Pendeen 
Cove, 128. — Geological phenomena, 128. — The Gur- 
nard's head, 129.— Minerals to be found in this dis- 
trict, 130. — Jxinile at Trewellard — Prehnite — Stil- 
bile — Mcsotype, 131. — The Crown Engine of 



Contents, xv 

Botallack — Extraordinary Scenery of the spot, 
132. — Descent to the Engine, 133. — The workings 
of the Mine extend under the bed of the Atlantic 
ocean, 133. — Miner alogical observations, 134. — 
Cape Cornwall, 136. — Little Bounds Mine, 136. 
— Its workings under the sea, 1 37. — Curious Stalac- 
tites found there, 138. — Caraglose Head, a spot 
well worthy the stranger's notice, 138. — Portnanvon 
Cove, 139. — Saint Just Church Town, 139. — 
Ancient Amphitheatre, where Tournaments are held 
at this very day, 140. — Botallack circles, 140. — 
Antiquarian speculations, 141. 



EXCURSION IV. 

(Page 143) 

TO SAINT IVES, HAYLE, HUEL ALFRED, &c. 

Embowered Village of Gulval — Kenegie the seat of 
J. A. Harris Arundel, Esq. — Rosmorran, the retired 
cottage of George John, Esq. 143. — Ascent to the 
great Granite ridge, 143.— Castle an Dinas, 144. — 
Atmospheric Phenomenon, 144. — Saint Ifes, 145. 
— The Pilchard Fishery. — Confusion and bustle 
which are occasioned on the appearance of a shoal, 
146. — Natural History of the Pilchard, 147. — 
Period of its appearance, 148. — How discovered by 
the Huer, 149. — Necessary outfit for the fishery, 
149. — The Great Net, or Stop Seine — How shot, 
150. — The quantity of fish usually secured — Tuck- 
ing, a beautiful sight, 152. — Driving Nets, 153.— 



xvi Contents, 

Fish brought to the cellars and cured — lying in bulk, 
153.— Packed in hogsheads, headed up, and ex- 
ported, 154. — The great importance of this fishery to 
the county, 155. — Refuse Jish used as manure, 155. 
—Their fertilizing powers increased by lime, 156. — 
The Herring Fishery, 156. — Tregenna Castle, 
the seat of Samuel Stephens, Esq,— KnilVs Mauso- 
leum, 157. — Quinquennial Games instituted, 158. — 
Hayle Sands — The Fort of Hayle, 159. — Desolate 
appearance of the district, 161. — Sand-flood, 162. — 
Recent Formation of Sandstone, 163. — Inves- 
tigation of the causes which have operated in con- 
solidating the sand, 166. — Huel Alfred Copper -mine, 
169. — The Herland Mines, 170. — Saint Erth — 
Trevethoe, 171. — Tin Smelting, 173. — Ludgvan 
Church — The tomb of the venerable and learned Dr. 
Borlase, 174. 



EXCURSION V. 

{Page 176.) 

TO REDRUTH, AND THE MINING DISTRICTS IN ITS 
VICINITY. 

The country uninteresting to the traveller in search of 
the picturesque, but affording a rich and instructive 
field of Miner alogical inquiry , 176. — Antiquity of the 
Cornish Tin Trade, 177 '• — Stannary Courts — Copper 
Ore of comparatively modern discovery, 178. — Lead, 
Cobalt, and Silver ores, 180. — Average width of the 
metalliferous veins — Depth of the principal mines, 



Contents. xvii 

181. — North and South veins, or Cross Courses, 181. 
— Heaves of the Lodes — A remarkable instance in 
Huel Peever, 182. — Costeening, the meaning of the 
term — Method of Working the CoRNisn 
Mines, 183. — Blasting the rock with gunpowder , 
186. — Descent into a Mine, 186. — Interior of a 
Mine, 187. — Temperature of Mines, 189. — Mines 
considered as property, 190. — Various processes by 
which the ore is rendered marketable, 191. — Spoiling , 
1 9 1 . — Stamping, 1 92. — Dressing, 193. — Fanning, 
194. — Burning, 194.— The Standard Barrow, 195. 
— Names of Mines, whence derived, 196. — Number 
of Mines, 196. — Stream Works, 197. — G old found 
there, 197. — Clowance, the seat of Sir John St. Aubyn 
— Pendarves, the seat of E. W. W. Pendarves, Esq. 
— TehidyPark, the mansion of Lord de Dunstanville, 
198. — Dolcoath Copper Mine, 198. — Cook's 
Kitchen, 199. — Redruth — The Great Steam 
Engine at Chacewater, 200. — The Consolidated 
Mines — Huel Unity — Poldice, 202. — Hints to the 
Collectors of Cornish Minerals, 202. — Mineralogical 
Cabinets — That in the possession of Mr. Rashleigh, 
203.-0/ Mr. Williams's Collection, 206.— Saint 
Agnes, 208. — Carnbreh Hill — The supposed 
grand centre ofDruidical worship, 209. — Imaginary 
monuments of the Druids — Their true nature de- 
veloped, 209. — C leave I an dite found in the porphyritic 
granite on the summit of the hill, LYl.—Carn-breh 
Castle, 213. 



xviii Contents. 

EXCURSION VI. 

{Page 214.) 

TO KYNANCE COVE AND THE LIZARD POINT. 

Fundamental Rocks of the Lizard Peninsula, 215. — 
Alternate beds of Slate and Greenstone at Marazion 
— CuddenPoint — Acton Castle — Pengerswick Castle, 
216. — Tregoning, Go dolphin, and Breuge Hills, 217. 
—Huel For, a great Tin Mine> Zl8.—Portleven 
Harbour — Helston, 219. — Its Borough — The 
ancient and singular festival of the Furry commemo- 
rated in this town, 220. — The Furry -day Tune, 222. 
— Penrose, the seat of John Rogers, Esq. 223. — 
The Loe Pool, an exsensive fresh-water lake, 224. — 
Interior of the Lizard Peninsula, 225. — Gunwalloe 
Cove — Bolerium — Mullion Cove — Geology of this 
line of Coast, 226. — Serpentine Formation — Goonhilly 
Downs — Erica Vagans, 227. — Soap Rock, 228. — 
Copper found in this district, 229. — Kynance Cove 
— Asparagus Island — Tlie DeviVs Bellows, 229. — 
Explanation of the phenomenon, 230. — Lizard 
Light-houses, 231. — Geology of the Eastern Coast 
of the Peninsula, 232. — Frying Pan Rocks near 
Cadgwith, 233.—Diallage Rock— Mr. Majendie's 
researches in this district, 233. — Coverack Cove, a 
spot of the highest geological interest, 234. — Professor 
Sedgwick's Observations thereon, 235. — Tregonwell 
Mill, the habitat of Menacchanite or Gregorite, 236. 
— Concluding Remarks, 237. 



Content s. xix 

APPENDIX. 

Part I. 

A Dialogue, between Dr. Am a Physician, and 
Mr. B. an Invalid, on the comparative merits 
of different Climates, as places of Winter resi- 
dence p. 239 

APPENDIX. 

Part II. 

An Account of the First celebration of the Knillian 

Games at Saint Ives p. 260 

A Cornish Dialogue 267 

Corn Breh — An Ode hitherto unpublished, by Dr. 
Walcot 271 



A GUIDE 



MOUNTS BAY 



THE LANDs END. 



INTRODUCTION. 

Of the Mount's Bat/, and the Land's End District, 



At the most western extremity, and in the 
lowest latitude of Great Britain, is situated this 
delightful and j ustly celebrated Bay. It is bound- 
ed by an irregularly curved outline of many miles 
in extent, the extreme points of which constitute 
the well known promontory of the " Lizard," and 
the singular head-land, " Tol-Pedn-Penwith" 
near the " Land's End" 

From the Lizard, the shores pass northward 
and westward, and gradually losing, as they 
proceed, their harsh and untamed features, swell 



2 Mount's Bay — Scenery. 

into sloping sweeps of richly cultivated land, 
and into hills glowing with the freshest verdure. 
As the coast advances, and at the same time 
spreads itself southward, it unites to its luxuriant 
richness a bolder character, and, rising like a 
vast amphitheatre, it opposes a barrier to western 
storms, while it presents its undulating bosom to 
the sun, and collecting his rays,, pours them 
again with multiplied effect, upon every part 
of the surrounding country. The shores now 
pass westward, and extend to the Land's End, 
in their approach to which they become more 
rocky and precipitous, and occasionally exhibit 
some of the finest cliff scenery in the island, 
displaying by splendid natural sections the exact 
structure and relations of the rocks of which the 
country is composed. 

The western shores are sprinkled with pictu- 
resque villages, churches, cottages, and villas; 
and near the eastern margin of the bay, a pile of 
rocks, supporting a venerable chapel on its sum- 
mit, starts abruptly from the waves, and pre- 
sents an appearance of a most singular and beau- 
tiful description — this is Saint MichaeFs Mount, 
an eminence equally celebrated in the works of 
the poet, the naturalist, the antiquary, and the 
historian. 



Northern Coast. 3 

If we pursue the coast, and, turning round the 
western extremity of our island, trace its outline 
as it proceeds northerly, and then easterly to the 
Bay of St,' Ives, a very different country pre- 
sents itself; instead of the undulating curves, and 
luxuriant herbage of the southern shores, the 
land is generally high, — the vallies short, narrow, 
and quick of descent, and the whole landscape 
affords a scene of incomparable cheerlessness ; 
on the summit of almost every hill the granite is 
to be seen protruding its rugged forms in the 
most fantastic shapes, while the neighbouring 
ground is frequently covered for some distance 
with its disjointed and gigantic fragments, tum- 
bled together in magnificent confusion ; scarcely 
a shrub is seen to diversify the waste, and the 
traveller who undertakes to explore the more 
desolate parts of the district, will feel as if he 
were walking over the ruins of the globe, and 
were the only being who had survived the general 
wreck; and yet Ulysses was not more attached 
to his Ithaca, than is the Cornish peasant to his 
wild and cheerless dwelling. 

" Dear is that shed to which his soul conforms, 

" And dear that hill which lifts him to the storms." 

Nor let the intelligent tourist despair of amuse- 
ment, for he will find much to interest, much to 
a2 



4 Minerals and Antiquities, 

delight him. There is not perhaps a district in 
Great Britain which presents greater attractions 
to the mineralogist or geologist; and there is 
certainly not one which, in so small a compass, 
has produced so many species of earthy and me- 
tallic minerals, or which displays so many geolo- 
gical varieties. At the same time the antiquarian 
may here occupy himself with the examination of 
the rude relics of antiquity, which lie scattered 
on all sides — nothing is more pleasing than that 
sacred enthusiasm which is kindled in the mind 
by the contemplation of the faded monuments of 
past ages, and surely no spot was ever more con- 
genial to such sensations. But to return from 
the digression. 

The Climate of Mount's Bay is the circum- 
stance which has principally contributed to its 
celebrity, and is that which renders its shores so 
beneficial to invalids. Its seasons have been 
aptly compared to the neap tides, which neither 
ebb nor flow with energy; for, notwithstanding 
its southern latitude, the summer is never sultry, 
while the rigour of winter is so ameliorated, that 
thick ice* is rarely seen ; frost, if it occurs, is but 

* Skaiting, as an amusement, is entirely unknown among the 
young men of Penzance. The marsh between this place and 
Marazion, which is generally overflowed in the winter season, and 
which offers, when frozen, a very fair field for the skaiter, has not 



Vegetation. 5 

of a few hours duration; and the snow storms 
which, coming from the north and east, bury the 
fields of every other part of England, are gene- 
rally exhausted before they reach this favoured 
spot, or their last sprinkling is dissolved by the 
warm breezes which play around its shores. 

The records lately collated and published by 
Dr. Forbes, from the meteorological journals of 
Messrs. Giddy, eminent surgeons at Penzance, 
afford abundant proof that this neighbourhood 
enjoys a mean summer temperature under, and 
a mean winter temperature greatly above, the 
mean of places similarly situated as to latitude, 
but differing in the latter being placed at a dis- 
tance from the sea; for the mass of water held in 
the vast basin of the ocean preserves a far more 
even temperature than the atmosphere, and is 
constantly at work to maintain some degree of 
equilibrium in the warmth of the air; so that in 
the summer it carries off a portion of the caloric 
from it, while in the winter it restores a part of 
that which it contains.* 

been more than four times during the last thirty years sufficiently 
solidified to admit of that diversion, viz. in the years 1788, 1794, 
1814, and 1819. 

* It is this fact that permits the cultivation of many species of 
plants in the open ground about London, which in the vicinity of 
Paris will not live without a green-house. 



6 Mildness of its Winter. 

The same registers have, moreover, recorded a 
fact with respect to the Penzance climate which 
renders it still more acceptable to the invalid, — 
the comparatively small annual, monthly, and 
daily range of its temperature. Nor are the in- 
dications of the thermometer the only test upon 
which we need rely,— the productions of nature 
will furnish striking elucidations, and amply con- 
firm the justness of our meteorological observa- 
tions. From the vegetable kingdom we derive 
conclusive evidence of the mildness of our win- 
ter, since all green-house plants may be preserved 
with far less care and attendance than in any 
other part of England; myrtles* and geraniums, 
even of the tenderest kind, and many other ex- 
otics, are here constantly exposed during the win- 
ter, and yet they flower most luxuriantly in the 
summer. The Hydrangea attains an immense 
size in our shrubberies, as does also the Verbena 
Triphylla, The great American aloe (Agave 
Americana,) has flowered in the open air at 
Mousehole, at Tehidy park, and in the Scilly 

* These plants thrive in the open air, and commonly attain a 
height of ten or twelve feet; they may be seen trained on the front 
of some of the houses in Penzance to double that height. A suffi- 
cient quantity of cuttings was obtained from a tree of this descrip- 
tion, covering one of the houses, in the course of six weeks, to sup- 
ply the oven with fuel for three months! 



Climate of Mount's Bay. 7 

islands. To these we may add a long list * of 
tender exotics, all of which are flourishing in the 
neighbourhood of Penzance, and it has been justly 
remarked that were ornamental horticulture to 
become an object of attention in this neighbour- 
hood, as it is in many other parts of England, 
this list might be very considerably extended. 
Amongst the rare indigenous plants of this dis- 
trict, the Sibthorpia Europoza may be particu- 
larised as affording a remarkable proof of the 

* The following catalogue was drawn up by the Rev. T. Bree, 
of Allesley, Warwickshire, viz. 

Amaryllis Vittata. Hydrangea Decoior. 

Arum Colocasia. Haustonia Coccinea. 

' Azalea Indica. Hemerocallis Alba. 

Buddloea Globosa. Lavandula Viridis. 

Bocconia Cordata. Lobelia Fulgens. 

Coronilla Glauca, &c Myrtus Communis. 

Calla ^Ethiopica. Mesembryanthemum Deltoideum 

Cistus Salvifolius. Melianthus Major. 

Chrysanthemum Indicum Mimulus Glutinosus. 

Camellia Japonica. Magnolia Tripetala. 

Cyclamen Persicum, Metrosideros Lanceolata. 

Canna Indica. Olea Fragrans. 

Cheiranthus Tristis. Pittosporum Undulatum. 

Dahlia (many varietiesi) Phylica Ericoides. 

Daphne Indica. Protcea Argentea. 

Eucomis Striata. Punica Nana. 

Fuchsia Coccinea. Solanum Pseudo-Capsicum. 

Geranium (several species of Teucrium Frutescens. 

the African G.) Marum. 

Hypericum Coris. Verbena Triphylla. 

Crispum Westringia Rosmariuacea. 



Balearieum. 



8 Abundance of vegetable 

mildness of our winter. This elegant little plant 
when transplanted into the midland counties is 
killed even in the most sheltered gardens. Nor 
must we pass over unnoticed the more substantial 
proofs of the same fact, as furnished by our win- 
ter markets, for at a season when pot-herbs of all 
kinds are destroyed by frost in the eastern coun- 
ties, our tables are regularly supplied in abun- 
dance;* and so little is the progress of vegeta- 
tion checked during the months of winter, that 
the meadows retain their verdure, and afford even 
a considerable supply of grass to the cattle. 

Nor is the animal kingdom deficient in proofs 
of the congenial mildness of western Cornwall. 
We are indebted to the Rev. W. T. Bree, of 



* Cabbages are ready for the table as early as February; Turnips 
before the end of March; Broccoli, against Christmas; Green Peas 
are generally ready by the middle of May. But the most remark- 
able exception, perhaps, to the ordinary routine of the culinary 
calendar is to be found in the growth of the potatoe. It is cus- 
tomary for the gardeners in the vicinity of Penzance to raise two 
crops in one year. The first being planted in November is gathered 
in April, May, and June ; the second crop is planted immediately 
on taking up the first, and as late as to the middle of July. The 
first or spring crop has, in general, no other defence from the cold 
of winter than the stable dung used as manure, and it is rarely 
injured by the frost ! Such is the ordinary practice of the market- 
gardener; but Mr. Bolitho of Chyandour, has constantly new pota- 
toes at Christmas, and through the whole of January and part of 
February, raised in the open garden, with no other shelter than that 
afforded by some matting during the coldest nights. 



food in Winter. 9 

Allesley, Warwickshire, for the following re- 
marks, which were communicated by him to Dr. 
Forbes of Penzance, and published by that gen- 
tleman in his Observations on the Climate of this 
neighbourhood. 

" One of the most remarkable instances of the 
mildness of your climate is the unusually early 
appearance of frog's spawn : this I observed at 
Gulval on the 8th of January. According to 
White's Naturalist's Calendar (which was made 
from observations taken in Hampshire, a warm 
and early county,) the earliest and latest appear- 
ances there specified, are February 28th, and 
March 22d. Taking therefore the second week 
in March as the average for its appearance, you 
should seem, in this instance, to be full two 
months earlier than Hampshire." 

" In this neighbourhood (near Coventry) I 
rarely see any of our species of Swallow, except 
perhaps an occasional straggler, before the second 
week in April, but in the year 1818 I was not a 
little gratified at observing upwards of a score of 
Sand Martins, ( Hirundo Riparia,) sporting over 
the marsh between Gulval and Marazion, on 
March 31st. The wind at that time was N. W. 
and the thermometer at 50° in the shade at noon. 
The Chaffinch (Fiingilla Calebs,) I heard, in 






10 Coolness of its Summer. 



Cornwall, begin to chirp his spring note the last 
day of December. With us he is seldom heard 
until the beginning of February. The Viper, 
{Coluber Berus) a great lover of warmth and 
moisture, occurs more frequently in Cornwall 
than in the midland counties." 

We have already stated that our summers are 
as remarkable for coolness, as our winters are de- 
sirable for mildness. This circumstance neces- 
sarily renders our fruit inferior in flavour to that 
which is produced in the inland counties ; indeed 
the grape very rarely ripens in the open air, and 
the apricot tree seldom affords any fruit, except 
in a few favoured spots. The tree of the green- 
gage plum is nearly equally unproductive. The 
walnut and the common hazel-nut very seldom 
bear fruit. Apples for the table, however, are 
plentiful and good; and our strawberries may be 
considered as possessing a decided superiority. 

Why then, it may be asked, should not this 
climate be as eligible to invalids as that which 
they are generally sent across the Channel to 
enjoy ? In reply we will venture to assert, and 
without the least fear of being contradicted by 
those, whose experience renders them competent 
judges, that it is not only equally beneficial, but 
far more eligible, unless, indeed, the patient can 



Climate — Rain, 1 1 

possess himself of the cap of Fortunatus, to re- 
move the difficulties and discomfiture of a con- 
tinental journey. But since the present volume 
is, in some measure, written for the information 
and guidance of those who are seeking a winter's 
residence, in pursuit of health, the author has 
been induced to subjoin a short essay, in the ap- 
pendix, for the purpose of examining the compa- 
rative pretensions of the several places to the 
reputation for superior mildness and salubrity, 
which they have acquired, 

From the peninsular situation of Cornwall, and 
its proximity to the Atlantic ocean, over which 
the wind blows, at least, three- fourths of the 
\ear, the weather is certainly very subject to 
rain, and it is found that when other parts of 
England suffer from drought, Cornwall has rarely 
any reason to complain ; this peculiarity seems 
highly congenial to the inhabitants, as well as to 
the soil; a Cornishman never enjoys better health 
and spirits than in wet seasons, and there is a 
popular adage, that " the land will bear a shower 
every day, and two upon a Sunday /' this, like most 
of our popular sayings, although it requires to be 
understood with some grains of allowance, is 
founded on observation and experience. The 
philosophical explanation of the fact is obvious ; 



\2 Its rains not injurious 

the shallowness of the soil, and the large propor- 
tion of siliceous matter which enters into its com- 
position, together with the nature of its rocky 
substratum, necessarily render a constant supply 
of moisture indispensable to its fertility. And 
we here cannot but admire the intelligence dis- 
played by Nature in connecting the wants and 
necessities of the different parts of Creation with 
the power and means of supplying them ; thus in 
a primitive country, like Cornwall, where the 
soil is constantly greedy of moisture, we perceive 
that the rocks, elevated above the surface, solicit 
a tribute from every passing cloud; while in al- 
luvial and flat districts, the soil .of which is rich, 
deep, and retentive of water, the clouds float 
undisturbed over the plains, and the country very 
commonly enjoys that long and uninterrupted 
series of dry weather which is so congenial and 
essential to its productions. 

It deserves, however, to be noticed, that the 
rains of Cornwall are, in general, rather frequent 
than heavy. 

" Not such as wintry storms on mortals shed 
Oppressing life, but lovely, gentle, kind, 
And full of every hope, and every joy, 
The wish of Nature." 

It has been satisfactorily ascertained, by means 
of the rain guage, that the actual quantity of rain 



to invalid residents, 13 

that falls is rather under the mean of the whole 
of England ; and Dr. Borlase observes that " we 
have yery seldom a day so thoroughly wet, but 
that there is some intermission, nor so cloudy, 
but that the sun will find a time to shine." This 
circumstance may, perhaps, in part depend upon 
the narrow, ridgelike form of the peninsula, over 
which the winds make a quick, because they have 
a short passage, and therefore do not suffer the 
clouds to hang long in one place, as they fre- 
quently do in other situations ; we are, besides, 
much indebted to Ireland for this moderation of 
the elements ; she may be truly denominated the 
Umbrella of Cornwall, for were not the vast body 
of clouds, which the winds bring from the Atlan- 
tic, attracted and broken by her hills, we should 
most probably be deluged with more constant and 
excessive rain. 

Notwithstanding the supposed moisture of the 
Mount's Bay, the air is not less fit for respiration, 
nor less beneficial to the valetudinarian, than that 
of drier situations. The porous nature of the 
shelfy substratum soon disposes of any excess of 
water; so that, after a short cessation of rain, 
the invalid may safely venture abroad to enjoy 
the delightful walks which surround the bay ; at 
the same time, the numerous promontories which 



14 Violent Storms. 

distinguish this coast, promote a constant circu- 
lation of breezes around their extremities, so that 
mists seldom linger, and we never experience 
those sultry calms, or suffocating fogs, which not 
unfrequently infest other parts of our island. 

As Cornwall is directly exposed to the expanse 
of the Atlantic ocean, lying south-west of it, we 
cannot be surprised that the winds, which blow 
so generally from that quarter, should Occasion- 
ally produce very violent storms. Their approach 
is frequently predicted by the experienced fisher- 
man, from the agitation of the water along shore, 
a phenomenon which is called a u ground swell;" 
and which is probably occasioned by a storm in 
the Atlantic, with the wind west; in which case, 
as the storm proceeds eastward, the waves raised 
by it will outgo the wind, and reach the eastern 
coast long before it. A tremendous instance of 
this kind occurred, during the residence of the 
author of these pages, on the night of Sunday, 
January 19th, 1817. The storm assumed the 
character of a hurricane, and acting in conjunc- 
tion with a spring tide, impelled the waves with 
such fury, that they actually broke over the mast 
heads of the vessels which were lying within Pen- 
zance harbour, and bore down every thing before 
them ; two of the four pillars recently erected 



Hurricane of 1817. 15 

for the reception of a light were thrown down, 
and several of the foundation stones of the pier 
removed. The windows of the bath-house were 
demolished, and the whole of its furniture washed 
into the sea. The green between Penzance and 
Newlyn was torn up, and several boats, lying* on 
the strand were actually carried into the neigh- 
bouring meadows. The towns of Newlyn and 
Mousehole suffered corresponding damage, and 
several of their houses were washed away. The 
road between Marazion and St. Michael's Mount 
was torn from its lowest foundation, and stones 
of more than a ton in weight, though clamped 
together with massy iron, were severed and re- 
moved from their situation. The turnpike road 
between Penzance and Marazion was, in many 
places, buried with sand ; and in others, broken 
up by the violence of the waves, and covered by 
the sea to the depth of from three to five feet. 
Had the violence of the storm lasted but a few 
hours longer, who will venture to say that the 
two channels would not have been united by the 
inundation of the low land which constitutes the 
isthmus, and the district of the Land's end been 
converted into an island ! 

The sea is encroaching upon every part of the 
Cornish coast. In the memory of many persons 



16 Encroachments of the Sea. 

still living, the cricketers were unable to throw a 
ball across the " Western Green" between Pen- 
zance and Newlyn,* which is now not many feet 
in breadth, and the grandfather of the present 
vicar of Madron is known to have received tithes 
from the land under the cliff of Penzance. On 
the northern coast we have striking instances of 
the sea having made similar inroads. This how- 
ever is the natural result of the slow and silent 
depredation of the water upon the land; but at a 
very remote period we are assured by tradition, 
that a considerable part of the present bay, espe- 
cially that comprehended within a line drawn 
from near Cuddan point on the east side, to 
Mousehole on the west, was land covered with 
wood, but which, by an awful convulsion and 
irruption of the sea, was suddenly swept away. 
" If we trace the north-west shore of the bay, 
from the Mount westward to Newlyn, the ebb 
tide leaves a large space uncovered ; the sea sand 
is from one to two or three feet deep ; and under 



* Mr. Boase has lately published, in the 2d volume of the Trans- 
actions of the Cornish Society, a very interesting letter upon this 
subject, (in the possession of Mrs. Ley of Penzance, who is the 
present representative of the Daniel family.) It was written, in the 
reign of Charles II. to the then proprietor of an estate, which in- 
cluded part of the " Western Green;" and that part is there esti- 
mated at thirty-six acres of pasturage! 



Sub-marine Forest, 17 

this stratum of sand is found a black vegetable 
mould, full of woodland detritus, such as the 
branches, leaves, and nuts of coppice wood, to- 
gether with the roots and trunks of forest trees 
of large growth. All these are manifestly indi- 
genous ; and, from the freshness and preservation 
of some of the remains, the inundation of sand, 
as well as water, must have been sudden and 
simultaneous; and the circumstance of ripe nuts 
and leaves remaining together would seem to 
shew that the irruption happened in the autumn, 
or in the beginning of winter. This vegetable 
substratum has been traced seaward as far as the 
ebb would permit, and has been found continuous 
and of like nature. Another proof of these shores 
having been suddenly visited by a tremendous 
catastrophe, has been afforded by the nature of 
the sand banks constituting the " Eastern" and 
" Western Greens" and which will be found to 
be the detritus of disintegrated granite ; whereas 
the natural sand, which forms the bed of the sea, 
is altogether unlike it, being much more comminu- 
ted, different in colour, and evidently the result 
of pulverised clay-slate:"* but when did this 
mighty catastrophe occur, and what were its 

* See " A memoir on the submersion of part of the Mount's Bay, 
by H. Boase, Esq." in the 2d volume of the Cornish Transactions. 



18 Geological convulsions. 

causes ? These are questions which are not rea- 
dily answered; the event is so buried in the 
depths of antiquity, that nothing certain or satis- 
factory can be collected concerning- it; although 
it would appear from the concurrent testimony of 
Florence of Worcester,* and the Saxon Chronicles, 
that a remarkable invasion of the ocean occurred 
in November 1099. With respect to the causes 
of the phenomenon we are equally uninformed; 
let the geologist examine the appearance of the 
coast with attention, and then decide with what 
probability De Luc attributed the catastrophe to 
a subsidence of the land. It must not, however, 
be concealed that many geologists have ques- 
tioned the probability of the occurrence alto- 
gether, and argue from the appearance of the 
coast, " whose rocks beat back the envious siege 
of watery Neptune," that no very important 
change in the hydrographical outline of the Cor- 
nish peninsula can have taken place, during the 
present constitution of the earth's surface. If 
Saint Michael's Mount be in reality the " Ictis" 

* On the third of the nones of November •," cries Florence of Wor- 
cester, " the sea comes out upon the shores, and buried towns and men, 
very many, oxen and sheep innumerable. ,, While the Saxon Chro- 
nicle relates that " this year eke, on Saint Martin'' s ?nass day, sprang 
up so much the sea flood, and so myckle harm did, as no man minded 
it ever afore did" 



Ruin of the Mountains. 19 

of Diodorus Siculus, we have certainly a decisive 
proof that no material change has taken place for 
the space of eighteen centuries at least ; for the 
Historian describes the access to this island pre- 
cisely such as it is at the present period— prac- 
ticable only at low water for wheel carriages. 

Nor is the corroding operation of the other 
elements upon the hills of Cornwall less evident 
and striking; no where are the vestiges of degra- 
dation more remarkable ; granitic countries usu- 
ally present a bold and varied outline, whereas 
the aspect of Cornwall, with some few exceptions, 
is comparatively tame, and even flat. u / went 
into Cornwall" said a geologist of well known 
celebrity, " to see an example of a primitive 
country ; but, instead of an example, I found an 
exception," The same observation would apply 
to the agricultural character of the county, for 
its fertility is much greater than that which 
usually occurs in a country composed of primi- 
tive rocks. 

All that peninsular portion of Cornwall which 
is situated to the westward of a line drawn from 
the estuary of Hayle on the north, to Cuddan 
point on the south, has been distinguished by 
the appellation of the Land'e End District. It 
is about thirteen miles long from east to west, 
b2 



20 



Land's End District, 



and five or six miles broad from north to south, 
and contains, by superficial admeasurement about 
54,000 statute acres. It has been remarked that 
the small extent of this district, and its peninsular 
character, preclude the existence of rivers of any 
magnitude; its varied and uneven surface, how- 
ever, gives it a great profusion of small streams 
and rivulets, which add greatly to its value. We 
shall take occasion to introduce some remarks on 
its agriculture, in our excursion to the Land'9 
End. 




Pentance. 



PENZANCE. 




Having offered a rapid coup d'oeil of the 
country we are about to examine, we shall now 
conduct the stranger into Penzance,* as being a 



* Penzance signifies, in Cornish, Holy-head, i.e. holy headland; 
and the town appears to have been so called in consequence of a 
small chapel, dedicated to that universal patron of fishermen, Saint 
Anthony, having formerly stood on the projecting point near the 
present quay. W T hen it became necessary to adopt arms for the 
town, the true origin of its name was forgotten or overlooked, and 
the holy head of Saint John emblazoned. It would, however, ap- 
pear from the Liber valorum, that Buriton was the old name of 



Penzance. 






town well calculated to afford him an eligible 
residence; many of the various objects of interest 
are within the range of a morning's ride, and he 
will meet with every accommodation that may be 
required for the performance of his excursions; 
if his pursuit be mineralogy and geology, it is in 
this town that he will find others zealously en- 
gaged in the study of the same science, from 
whom he will readily obtain much local infor- 
mation ; while in the collection of the Geological 
Society, so liberally opened for the inspection of 
every scientific stranger, he will see well defined 
specimens illustrative of the districts he may be 
desirous of exploring. 

The reader of this Guide, therefore, must 
thoroughly understand that in the arrangement 
of the subsequent " Excursions," the various 
objects of interest, to which it directs him, are 
described in an order best adapted to the con- 
venience of the resident at Penzance. 

Penzance is the most western market town in 
the kingdom ; about ten miles from the land's 

Penzance, — a sound which to the ear of the antiquary is full of his- 
torical intelligence, for the addition of Bury to the name of a town 
signified that it was a town with a castle ; thus, Buriton signified 
Bury-town, i. e. the Castle town. Some cellars near the quay are 
to this day called the Barbican cellars ; thus tradition points out 
the castle to have been upon, or near, the site of the present chapel. 



Fertility of its neighbourhood. 93 

end, and 282 miles W. S.W. of London. It is 
beautifully situated on the north-west shore of 
the Mount's Bay, on a declivity jetting into the 
sea. The lands in its vicinity having a substratum 
of hornblende rock and slate, are not exceeded in 
fertility by any soil in the kingdom ; a belt of 
land around the town, which consists of about 
a thousand acres, producing an annual rent of 
«s£10,000 ! The town is well defended by sur- 
rounding hills from the fury of Atlantic storms. 
It is large and populous, containing more than 
six thousand inhabitants. The Corporation* con- 
sists of a mayor, recorder, eight aldermen, and 
twelve common-council men ; by whose funds, + 
unaided by any parliamentary grant, a very com- 
modious pier was erected about fifty years ago, 

* Penzance was first incorporated in the reign of king James, in 
1614; which charter was confirmed by Charles II. 

+ The history of these funds exhibits a curious instance of the 
increase in value which property undergoes, in a series of years, 
from the progressive improvements of the district in which it lies. 
The revenue of the Corporation, nearly ,£2000 per annum, is de- 
rived from an estate which was purchased from one Daniel, in the 
year 1614, for the sum of £34, and 20 shillings a year fee farm rent, 
payable out of the same to the vender and his representatives for 
ever. This estate is described in the writings to be " a three cor- 
ner plot with a timber house (then) lately erected thereon, together 
with the tolls, profits, and dues of the fairs, markets, and of the 
pier." The increase of its value has arisen from the enlargement 
of the market now held on the spot, and from the dues arising from 
the improved and extended pier. 



24 Penzance. Pier — Chapel. 

and which has lately been considerably extended, 
so that it is now more than 600 feet in length, and 
is the largest pier in Cornwall. It has, more- 
over, received the addition of a light which is 
displayed every night, from half flood to half 
ebb, and is consequently extinguished as soon as 
there is less than nine feet of water within the 
pier. At high water there is now at Spring tides 
22 feet* of water, which is about five feet more 
than that at the pier of Saint Michael's Mount. 
The expenses incurred by these late improve- 
ments are to be paid by a new tariff, established 
by an act passed in the year 1817. 

The mother church is situated at Madron, but 
there is a chapel of ease in the town, dedicated to 
Saint Mary, the simple and unassuming spire of 
which forms a very interesting object in the bay. 

Besides the established church, there are seve- 
ral places of religious worship. The Wesleyan 
Methodists' chapel, built in the year 1814, is the 
most complete and capacious meeting-house in 
the county. There are, moreover, appropriate 

* We are desirous of recording this fact since it continues to be 
erroneously stated in the publication called the " Coasting Pilot" 
as well as in all charts, to be only 13 feet, as it was before the im- 
provements. From the perpetuation of this error the masters of 
vessels unacquainted with the place, refuse to credit the pilots, 
when informed by them of the depth of the water. 






Coinage of Tin. 25 

places of worship for the Independents, Baptists, 
and Quakers, and a synagogue for the Jews. 

Penzance is one of those towns to which the 
tinners bring their tin to be " coined" as it is 
called, that is, to be assayed and licensed by the 
officers of the Duchy, who take off a piece from 
the corner* of each block; and if they find it 
sufficiently pure, stamp the former with the 
Duke's arms. The stranger will be much struck 
by the singular sight of many thousand blocks of 
Tin, which lie in heaps, like worthless rubbish, 
about the street,+ each weighing about 320 lb. 
and may perhaps be worth from *S18 to s€20. 
The Tin intended for the Mediterranean trade is 
here formed into bars, while that designed for 
exportation to the East Indies is cast into ingots. 

There is a Public Dispensary, supported by the 
yoluntary contributions of the inhabitants, aided 
occasionally by the donations of those invalid 
strangers, who, grateful for the reestablishment of 
health in themselves, eagerly adopt this mode of 
contributing to its restoration in others. Few 

* The operation is termed " Coining,'''' not, as is very generally- 
supposed, from the stamping of the Duke's arms, but from the 
cutting off the corner of each block, from the French word coin, a 
corner. For every cwt. so stamped, the Duke receives four shil- 
lings, producing an annual revenue of ^10,000. 

+ Since the first edition, the place of coinage has been changed 
from the middle of the town to a large area near the quay. 






26 Royal Geological Society. 

institutions for the accomplishment of a similar 
object, have proved more extensively beneficial ; 
and none, we will venture to add, were ever 
superintended with more humane attention. 

To the scientific visitor, Penzance possesses 
an interest of no ordinary degree. In the year 
1814, Dr. Paris, who was at that time the resi- 
dent physician, succeeded, through the support 
of the nobility, gentry, and mine agents of the 
county, in establishing a society for the cultiva- 
tion and promotion of mineralogical and geologi- 
cal science; and, when we consider the immense 
advantages of its locality, the ability of its mem- 
bers, and the zeal and munificence of its patrons, 
we cannot be surprised to find that the short 
period of nine years has been sufficient to raise it 
to a respectable rank amongst the eminent insti- 
tutions of this country. His present Majesty, 
having graciously condescended to become its 
patron, it is now denominated the Royal 
Geological Society of Cornwall. The 
Marquis of Hertford, Lord Warden of the Stan- 
naries, and The Right Honourable Lord De 
Dunstanville, are its Vice-Patrons, and Davies 
Gilbert, Esq. M.P., the President ; while amongst 
its officers and members it has enrolled the names 
of many individuals of the first rank and science 



Its Cabinet of Minerals. 27 

in the kingdom. Two volumes of the Society's 
Transactions are already given to the public, 
from which a fairer estimate may be formed of 
the value of its labours, than from any sketch 
which the limited pages of this " Guide" could 
possibly afford ; we shall, however, for the in- 
formation of our scientific readers, present, in 
the Appendix, a list of the different memoirs 
which each volume contains. The splendid and 
extensive series of minerals, already exceeding 
four thousand specimens, which are deposited in 
an elegant and spacious museum, * offers a most 
honourable and durable testimony of the zeal 
and talent with which this department has been 
conducted; while to the student in mineralogy 
it affords a most desirable and solid system of 
instruction ; indeed it has already excited such a 
spirit of inquiry among the miners, as to have led 
to the discovery of several minerals before un- 
known in Cornwall. 

There is also an oeconomical department, con- 

* The rooms originally occupied by the Society, and which are 
represented in the vignette at the head of this chapter, becoming 
too small to accommodate the growing collection, a capacious and 
handsome suite of rooms were erected in the year 1817; to which 
are now attached a public library, and a room for the reception 
of newspapers. The former was established in IS 18, under the 
auspices of Sir Rose Price, Bart, and with the support of above a 
hundred subscribers in the neighbourhood. 



28 Cabinet of 

taining specimens in illustration of the various 
changes which the ores of Tin, Copper, &c. un- 
dergo in the processes of dressing and smelting. 
Models are likewise to be seen of the machinery 
which is employed in such operations. The whole 
has been admirably arranged under the skilful 
direction of the Curator, E. C. Giddy, Esq. 

In the g-eological department of the Museum 
are complete series of specimens illustrative of 
the serpentine formation of the Lizard, — of the 

slate formation of the " Land's End District" 

of the limestone formation of Veryan, and of the 
hornblende rocks of St. Cleer near Liskeard. 
There is besides an interesting series of " El- 
vans" * from different levels in many of the prin- 
cipal mines of the county, together with a col- 
lection of veins of metallic and earthy substances. 
Among the earthy minerals, we may particu- 
larize, as unusually fine, the specimens of Cal* 
cedony, Sodalite, Hauyne, Petalite, Colophonite, 
Vesuvian, &c. In the metallic department, we 
may notice the Carbonate of Lead, Specular Iron, 
Arseniate of Iron, the Oxide, Carbonate, Arseniate 
and Phosphate of Copper, Native Gold from the 
Tin-stream-works of Cornwall, Arsenical Pyrites, 

* See a paper " On Elvan Courses" by J, Came, Esq. in the 
first volume of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. 



Minerals. 29 

Uranite, Uran-ochre, Native Nickel, &c. Here 
also may be seen a mineral, hitherto almost un- 
known,— a Sub-carburet of Iron ; it was analysed 
by that late eminent chemist, the Rev. W. Gregor, 
who received it from the hands of the Rev. J. 
Rogers of Mawnan. It was found in a vein 
about half an inch wide, intersecting either hard 
Clay-slate or Graywacke. Among the saline mine- 
rals in the cabinet are Glauberite, and Sassoline 
or native Boracic acid. 

A Laboratory, containing the necessary appa- 
ratus for analytical operations, is attached to the 
establishment. 

In conclusion, we will venture to affirm, that 
the advantages and enjoyments which such socie- 
ties are calculated to afford are not only obtained 
without any expense to the country in which 
they are encouraged, but that they actually repay 
in wealth and emolument much more than they 
require for their support. Had the Cornish 
Society been earlier called into existence, we 
should never have heard of the most valuable 
productions of our country having been thrown 
into the sea, nor of their having been used as 
materials for the repair of roads, or the construc- 
tion of cottages : on the contrary, how many 
thousand tons of ore might have been gained ? — 



30 Accidents from Explosion 






how many years of unprofitable but expensive 
labour saved ? and how many individual adven- 
turers preserved from disappointment, or rescued 
from ruin ? Amongst the efforts made by this 
Society to improve the theory and art of mining, 
through the application of science, not the least 
interesting and praiseworthy is that which relates 
to the prevention of accidental explosion in the 
methods of blasting rocks with gunpowder, by 
the introduction of " Safet?/ Instruments." 

How little aware is the great mass of the com- 
munity at what an expense of human suffering 
and misery the ordinary necessaries of civilized 
life are obtained ! Few of our readers, we will 
venture to say, have ever heard of the dreadful 
extent of the accidents which have occurred in 
the mines of Cornwall from the use of iron ram- 
mers, in the process of charging the rock with 
gunpowder, in order to blast it. Hundreds have 
been thus sent to an untimely grave, or, what 
perhaps is still worse, have been so mutilated as 
to remain blind and helpless objects of misery 
for the rest of their days, while their wives and 
children have been thus driven, in a state of des- 
titution, to the hard necessity of seeking from 
charity that pittance which honest industry could 
no longer supply. We must refer the reader for 



in Mines prevented, 31 

a full account of this appalling subject to Dr. 
Paris's Memoir, in the first volume of the Society's 
Transactions, entitled " On the Accidents zchich 
occur in the Mines of Cornwall, in consequence of 
the premature explosion of Gunpowder in blasting- 
rocks ; and on the methods to be adopted for pre- 
venting it, by the introduction of a Safety Bar, 
and an instrument termed the Shifting Cartridge.' 1 

We earnestly, therefore, entreat the Society to 
persevere in those laudable efforts, which have 
already ensured for it the respect of the learned, 
and the gratitude of the public. — Floreat. 

Besides the instructive collection of the Geolo- 
gical Society, the splendid cabinet of Joseph Came, 
Esq. may now be seen in this town, for since the 
first edition of this " Guide" the Cornish Copper 
Company have given up their smelting establish- 
ment at Hayle, at which place Mr. Came for- 
merly lived as the resident partner. Among the 
principal excellencies of this collection we may 
notice Prehnite, in a variety of forms ; Axinite in 
the usual forms of that mineral; Stilbite in flat 
four*sided prisms, terminated by pyramids ; Me- 
sotype radiated ; Garnets in twelve, and twenty- 
four sided crystals ; Pinite in six and twelve sided 
prisms; Uranite in quadrangular tables with the 
angles sometimes truncated, and also in forms 



32 Mr. Carrie's Collection. 






much resembling cubes and octohedrons ; TJran- 
ochre ; Native Bismuth ; and Specular Iron ore, 
little inferior in beauty to that brought from 
Elba,— all of which are from Saint Just. From 
other parts of Cornwall are Sulphate of Lead 
(Vellenoweth Mine) in a variety of forms, more 
especially in one resembling* an octahedron ; 
Grey Sulphuret of Copper (Crenver mine), the 
best defined crystals of which are very obtuse 
dodecahedrons, and six sided prisms ; in some 
specimens the dodecahedron is so placed upon 
the summit of a prism as to produce the whim- 
sical appearance of a nail, which from its rarity 
is sought after by mineral collectors with con- 
siderable avidity. Two specimens of rarity also 
in this collection are the Yellow, and Grey Sul- 
phuret of Copper, in forms approaching that of 
Cube ; the latter is pseudomorphous. 

The Penwith Agricultural Society holds its 
meetings, and distributes its premiums, in this 
town. Nothing can be more in place than such 
an institution. Geology and Agriculture are 
kindred sciences, and it has been truly observed 
that there is no district in the British Empire 
where the natural relations between the varieties 
of soil and the subjacent rocks can be more easily 
discovered and traced, or more effectually inves- 



Penzance Market. 33 

tigated, than in the county of Cornwall ; and no 
where can the information which such an enquiry 
is capable of affording, be more immediately and 
successfully applied for the improvement of waste 
lands, and the general advancement of agricultu- 
ral science. 

The market of Penzance, for the goodness, 
variety, and cheapness of its commodities, is cer- 
tainly not surpassed by any other in the kingdom ; 
to the great quantity of salt usually mixed with 
the food of the swine, is perhaps to be attributed 
the delicacy and richness of the pork; whilst, 
owing to the fine pasturage of the neigbourhood, 
the heifer beef is superior, beyond comparison, 
to the Scotch. It is worthy also of notice, that 
during the winter season the market is filled 
with a variety of wild-fowl, woodcocks, snipes, 
&c. which are offered for sale at extremely 
low prices. The market is held on Thursdays 
and Saturdays ; but every description of fish in 
season, as Red Mullet, John Doree, Turbot, Sole, 
Mack ar el, Whiting, Pilchard, Herring, &c. &c. 
may be purchased from the Newlyn fish-women, 
who are in daily attendance at their stalls, and 
whose fine symmetry, delicate complexions, curl- 
ing ringlets, and the brilliancy of whose jet black 
eyes, as they dart their rays from "beneath the 



34 Sea Baths. 

shade of large gypsey hats of beaver, fill the tra- 
veller with admiration. 

We beg leave to introduce the reader to two 
of these Nymphs of the CoweL* 




Whilst speaking of the delicacies of the table 
we must not omit to mention the clotted or clouted 
cream of this and the neighbouring county, f 
a luxury with which the epicures of other parts 
are wholly unacquainted. 

The town of Penzance is rapidly extending 
itself; new houses are continually rising in com- 
manding situations; and, since the publication of 
the first edition of this work, Hot and Cold 
Sea Baths have been completed upon a suitable 

* The Cowel is the provincial name of the peculiar basket in 
which they convey their fish, and is carried by means of a string 
round their hats, as represented above. Its name has been sup- 
posed to have been derived from its resemblance in position and 
appearance to the Monk's cowl. 

f The custom of obtaining the cream from new milk by coagu- 
lation from heat, is peculiar to Devonshire, Cornwall, and the op- 
posite coast of Brittany, and is supposed to be of Celtic origin. 
The butter obtained by beating up this cream does not differ much 
in flavor from that procured by churning new cream, except the 
process be carelessly conducted, when it will acquire a smoky taste. 



A Packet to Scillj/. 35 

scale of convenience. The waiting room belong- 
ing to this establishment commands a prospect 
of very singular beauty. St. Michael's Mount 
rising boldly in front, forms a striking relief to 
the extended line of coast which constitutes the 
back ground ; while the undulating shores on 
the left, skirted by the little village of Chy'an- 
dour, are well contrasted, on the opposite side, 
with the busy scene of the pier, and the nume- 
rous vessels in the harbour. 

In enumerating the advantages this town holds 
out as a residence to invalids, it deserves notice 
that a packet sails every Friday to the Scilly 
Islands, and returns on the following Tuesday. 
The distance is about fourteen leagues, and, with 
a fair wind, the passage is generally accomplished 
in six hours ; but with contrary winds it has 
sometimes, though very rarely, exceeded two days. 

In a town so remote from the metropolis, and 
in a great degree insulated from the other parts 
of the empire, it is not extraordinary that we 
should find the traces of several very ancient 
customs. The most singular one is, perhaps, the 
celebration of the Eve of Saint John the Baptist,* 

* It is reasonable to advert to the Summer Solstice for this cus- 
tom, although brought into the Christian Calendar under the 
sanction of John the Baptist. Those sacred fires " kindled about 
midnight, on the moment of the Solstice by the great part of the 

c2 



36 Singular Festivities 

our town saint, which falls on Midsummer Eve ; 
and that of the Eve of Saint Peter, the patron of 
fishermen. No sooner does the tardy sun sink 
into the western ocean than the young and old of 
both sexes, animated by the genius of the night, 
assemble in the town, and different villages of 
the bay, with lighted torches. Tar barrels hav- 
ing been erected on tall poles in the market 
place, on the pier, and in other conspicuous spots, 
are soon urged into a state of vivid combustion, 
shedding an appalling glare on every surrounding 
object, and which when multiplied by numerous 
reflections in the waves, produce at a distant 
view a spectacle so singular and novel as to defy 
the powers of description ; while the stranger 
who issues forth to gain a closer view of the fes- 
tivities of the town, may well imagine himself 
suddenly transported to the regions of the furies 
and infernal gods ; or, else that he is witnessing, 
in the magic mirror of Cornelius Agrippa, the 
awful celebration of the fifth day of the Eleu- 
sinian Feast;* while the shrieks of the female 



ancient and modern nations. The origin of which loses itself in 
antiqnity;" See Gebelin, and also Brand's Observations on Popular 
Antiquities. 

* The fifth day of the Elensinian feast was called " the day of 
the Torches" because at night the men and women ran about with 
them in imitation of Ceres, who, having lighted a torch at the fire 






on Midsummer Eve. 37 

spectators, and the triumphant yells of the torch 
bearers, with their hair streaming in the wind, 
and their flambeaus whirling with inconceivable 
velocity, are realities not calculated to dispel 
the illusion. No sooner are the torches burnt 
out than the numerous inhabitants engaged in 
the frolic, pouring forth from the quay and its 
neighbourhood, form a long string, and, hand 
in hand, run furiously through every street, vo- 
ciferating " an eye," — " an eye," — " an eye" ! 
At length they suddenly stop, and the two last of 
the string, elevating their clasped hands, form 
an eye to this enormous needle^ through which 
the thread of populace runs ; and thus they con- 
tinue to repeat the game, until weariness dis- 
solves the union, which rarely happens before 
midnight. 

On the following day (Midsummer day) fes- 
tivities of a very different character enliven the 
bay ; and the spectator can hardly be induced to 
believe that the same actors are engaged in both 
dramas. At about four or five o'clock in the 
afternoon, the country people, drest in their best 
apparel, pour into Penzance from the neighbour- 



of Mount iEtna, wandered about from place to place, in search of 
her daughter Proserpine. Hence may we not trace the high anti- 
quity of this species of popular rejoicing. 



38 Penzance burnt by 

ing villages, for the purpose of performing an 
aquatic advertisement. At this hour the quay and 
pier are crowded with holiday-makers, where a 
number of vessels, many of which are provided 
with music for the occasion, lie in readiness to 
receive them. In a short time the embarkation 
is completed, and the sea continues for many 
hours to present a moving picture of the most 
animating description. 

Penzance is remarkable in history for having 
been entered and burnt by the Spaniards, in the 
year 1595. From time immemorial a prediction 
had prevailed, that a period would arrive when 
" Some strangers should land on the rocks of 
Merlin, who should burn Paul's Church, Pen- 
zance, and Newly n" Of the actual accomplish- 
ment of this prediction we receive a full account 
from Carew, from which it would appear that on 
the 23d of July, 1595, about two hundred men 
landed from a squadron of Spanish gallies, on 
the coast of Mousehole, when they set fire to the 
church of Paul, and then to Mousehole itself. 
Finding little or no resistance, they proceeded 
to Newlyn,* and from thence to Penzance. Sir 
Francis Godolphin endeavoured to inspire the 

* Will not this historical fact explain the peculiar cast of beauty 
posseseed by many of the Fish-women residing in this village. 



the Spaniards in 1595. 39 

inhabitants with courage to repel these assail- 
ants ; but, so fascinated were they by the remem- 
brance of the ancient prophecy, that they fled in 
all directions, supposing that it was useless to 
contend against the destiny that had been pre- 
dicted. The Spaniards availing themselves of 
this desertion, set it on fire in different places, 
as they had already done to Newlyn, and then 
returned to their galleys, intending to renew the 
flames on the ensuing day ; but the Cornish hav- 
ing recovered from their panic, and assembled in 
great numbers on the beach, so annoyed the 
Spaniards with their bullets and arrows, that 
they drew their galleys farther off, and availing 
themselves of a favourable breeze, put to sea 
and escaped. 

It is worthy of remark, that when the Spaniards 
first came on shore, they actually landed on a 
rock called " Merlin" The historian concludes 
this narrative by observing that these were the 
only Spaniards that ever landed in England as 
enemies. 

In recalling the historical events which have 
invested this town with interest, we had nearly 
omitted to state, that a tradition exists here, that 
Tobacco was first smoked by Sir Walter Raleigh 
in Penzance, on his landing from America. By 



40 Sir H. Davy. 

the Philosopher of a future age Penzance will, 
doubtless, as the birth place of the illustrious 
Sir Humphry Davy, be regarded with no 
ordinary share of interest ; and to those who may 
be led to perform a pilgrimage to the early labor- 
atory of this highly gifted philosopher, the vig- 
nette at the head of the present chapter will be 
found materially useful in directing his steps.* 

It would be inconsistent with the plan and 
objects of the present work to enter into the de- 
tails of biography, that duty must be reserved for 
an abler pen, we shall therefore only state that 
the present distinguished President of the Royal 
Society was born in this town in the year 1779, 
and that after having received the earlier part of 
his education under Dr. Cardew at Truro, he was, 
placed with a respectable professional gentleman 
of Penzance, of the name of Tonkin, in order 
that he might acquire a knowledge of the pro- 
fession of a surgeon and apothecary. His early 
proofs of genius, however, having attracted a 
gentleman well known for his strong perception 
of character, he was fortunately removed to a 
field better calculated to call forth the latent 

* The house is the first on the left of the ascending footway, and 
its only two small windows visible in the vignette, are situated im- 
mediately beneath the clock of the market house tower. 



Indigenous Plants. 41 

energies of his mind. The result is too well 
known to require comment. 

In the vicinity of the town are delightful walks 
through shady dingles, and over swelling hills, 
from whose summits we catch the most delicious 
sea and land prospects ; and which are not a 
little heightened in beauty and effect by the glow- 
ing aerial tints so remarkably displayed in this 
climate at the rising and setting of the sun. Here 
too the Botanist may cull, in his rambles, a great 
variety of rare indigenous plants ; with a cata- 
logue* of which we shall now close the present 
chapter. 

LIST OF INDIGENOUS PLANTS OF 
WESTERN CORNWALL. 

Alisma Damasonium {Star-headed Water Plantain) between Pen- 
zance and Marazion. 

A Ranuncoloides. Marazion Marsh. 

Anchusa Officinalis (Common Jlkanet) St. Ives, &c. 
Anethum Foeniculum, common near Marazion. 

A Graveolens. Marazion Marsh. 

Aqnilegia Vulgaris (Common Columbine) St. Ives, Goldsithney, &c. 
Antirrhinum Orontium (Lesser Snapdragon) Gulval, Land's End. 

A Montspessilanuin (Bee Orchis) Penhryn. 

Anthemis Nobilis ( Common Chamomile) passim. 



* Many of these plants were enumerated in the former edition of 
this work, to which are now added some others, from the catalogue 
published by Dr. Forbes, in his observations on the climate of 
Penzance. 



42 Indigenous Plants. 

Anthyllis Vulneraria {dwarf with a red flower.) {Kidney-Vetch. 

Ladies' Finger). Downs, Whitsand Bay. 
Aspidium Oriopteris {Heath Shield-fern) Gear Slamps and New 

Mill. 
Aspidium Dilatatum. Variety. {Great Crested ditto) Moist Banks. 
Asplenium Marinum [Sea Spleenwort) St. Michael's Mount, Land's 

End, Logan rock. 
A Lanceolatum {Lanceolate ditto) Gulval, St. Michael's 

Mount, Lemorna Cove,&c. 
Bartsia Viscosa {Yellow Viscid Bartsia) Corn-fields near Hayle. 
Brassica Oleracea (Sea Cabbage) Cliffs, Penzance. 
Briza Minor {Small Quaking-grass) Cornfields between Gulval and 

Ludgvan. 
Bunias Cakile {Sea Rocket) Beach between Penzance and Newlyn. 
Campanula Hederacea {Ivy-leaved Bell-flower) Trevaylor Bottom, 

Gear Stamps, &c. 
Chironia Littoralis {Sea Centaury) Beach between Penzance and 

Marazion. 
Cochlearia Officinalis {Common Scurvy-grass) Cliffs near the Sea, 

common. 
Convolvulus Soldanella {Sea Bindweed) Whitsand Bay, Marazion 

Green, 
Cucsuta Epithymum {Lesser Dodder) common upon Gorse. 
Cynosurus Echinatus {Rough Dog's-tail Grass) Ludgvan. 
Daucus Maritimus {Wild Carrot) Land's end, Logan rock, Botal- 

lack, &c. 
Dicranum Cerviculatum (Red-necked Forked Moss) Gulval. Scilly^ 

D Crisp um (Curled ditto) St. Mary's, Scilly. 

Drosera Longifolia (Long-leaved Sun-dew) Marsh between Mara- 
zion and Penzance. 
Erica Vagans ( Cornish Heath) Lizard Peninsula. 
Erodium Maritimum (Sea Stork's Bill) Sea shore, common. 

E Cicutarium (Hemlock's Stork's Bill) ditto. 

Eryngium Maritimum (Sea Holly) Sea shore, common. 
Euphorbia Peplis (Purple Spurge) Marazion Green. 

E Portlandica (Portland ditto) Scilly Islands. 

Exacum Filiforme (Least Gentianella) Marazion Marsh, beyond the 

half way houses. 
Genista Pilosa (Hairy Grcen-wced) Kynancc Cove, 



Indigenous Plants. 43 

Gentiana Campestris (Field Gentian) Downs, Whitsand Bay. 
Lizard, &"c. 

Geranium Columbinum (Long-stalked Crane's-bill) Ludgvan. 

G Sanguineum (Bloody Crane's bill) Kynance Cove. 

Glaucium Luteum (Yellow Horned Poppy) Scilly Islands. 

HelleborusViridis (Green Hellebore) between Rosmorran andKene- 
gie, near the brook. 

Herniaria Hirsuta (Hairy Rupture wort) between Mullion and the 
Lizard. 

Hookeria Lucens (Shining Feather-moss) Trevaylor Bottom. Be- 
tween Rosmorran and Kenegie. 

Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense ( Filmy-leaved fern) Among the 
loose stones at Castle A.n Dinas, on the east side. 

Hypnum Scorpioides (Scorpion Feather-moss) Gulval, Zennor, &c. 

H Alopecuruui, variety (Fox-tail ditto) Gulval. 

Illecebrum Verticillatum (Whorled Knot-grass) Gulval, Gear 
Stamps, Land's end. 

Inula Helenium (Elecampane) Gulval, The Mount, St. Ives, Scilly. 

Iris Foetidissima (Stinking Iris, Roast Beef Plant) Madron. 

Linum Angustifolium (harrow-leaved pale Flax) St. Ives. 

L — Lsitatissimum. Near Redruth. 

Littorella Lacustris (Plantain Shoreweed). In a watery lane near 
Penzance. 

Mentha Odorata (Bergamot Mint) Burian. 

M — - — Rotundifolia (Round-leaved Mint) Between Penzance and 
Newlyn, "Whitsand Bay. 

Myrica Gale (Sweet Gale. Dutch Myrtle) Marsh, Gulval, and Ludg- 
van. 

Neckera Heteromalla (Lateral Xeckera) Trevaylor Bottom, Try, 
&c. 

Neottia Spiralis. Between Penzance and Marazion. 

Orchis Pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchis) near Hayle. 

Ornithogalum Umbellatum (Common Star of Bethlehem) near Mara- 
zion. 

Ornithopus Perpusillus (Common Bird y s-foot) Gulval, Carne, &c. 

Osmunda Regalis (Royal Moonworl) Poltair. 

Panicum Dactylum (Creeping Panick Grass) Marazion Beach. 

Pinguicula Lusitanica (Pale Butter wort) Bogs in the neighourhood. 

Pyrethrum Maritimum (Sea Feverfew) Sea-shore. 

Rubia Peregrina (Wild Madder) Hayle-Helston, 'Ac. 



44 



Indigenous Plants. 



Reseda Luteola {Wild Woad, Dyer's Weed) Coarse lands beyond 

Marazion. 
Rumex Sanguineus {Bloody-veined Dock) GulvaL. 
Ruscus Aculeatus {Butcher'' s Broom) Lemorna Cove, &c. 
Salvia Verbenacea {Wild English Clary) St. Ives, Scilly, &c. 
Samolus Valerandi {Brook-weed or Water Pimpernel) Land's end, 

&c. 
Santolina Maritima {Sea Cotton weed) Marazion beach. 
Saponaria Officinalis {Soap-wort) St. Levan, Tresco Island, Scilly. 
Saxifraga Stellaris {Hairy Saxifrage) Logan rock. 
Scilla Verna {Vernal Squill) St. Ives, near Zennor, Morvah, oppo- 
site to Three Stone Oar. 
Scirpus Fluitans {Floating Club Rush) Gulval Marsh. 
Scutellaria Minor {Lesser Skull-cap) Bogs, Gulval. 
Scrophularia Scorodonia {Balm-leaved Figwort) St. Ives, Gulval, 

and Chyandour, plentifully. 
Sedum Anglicum {English Stonecrop) very common. 

S Telephium {Orpine or Livelong) Logan rock. 

Sibthorpia Europcea {Cornish Moneywort) Moist banks, Gulval, 

Madron Well, Trereife Avenue ; Helston, &c. 
Silene Anglica {English Catchfly) common in Cornfields. 
Solidago Virgaurea (Common Golden-rod) Penzance, &c. 
Spergula Nodosa {Knotted Spurrey) near Marazion. 
Spiraea Filipendula ( Common Dropwort) Kynance Cove. 
Stachys Arvensis {Corn Woundwort) Cornfields, common. 
Tamarix Gallica {French Tamarisk) The Mount-Lizard, Scilly 

Islands, but very probably introduced. 
Trichostomum Poly phy Hum {Fringe Moss) Gulval, Kenegie, &c. 
Trifolium Subterraneum {Subterraneous Trefoil) near the Sea-shore. 
Verbascum Nigrum {Dark Mullein) Gulval. 
Utricularia Vulgaris (Common Bladderwort) between Rosmorran 

and Kenegie. 



Saint Michael's Mount. 45 



EXCURSION I. 

TO SAINT MICHAEL'S MOUNT. 



This precious stone, set in the silver sea ! " 

Richard II. Act 2. scene I, 



The traveller no sooner catches a glimpse of 
this extraordinary feature in the bay, than he 
becomes impatient to explore it; anticipating 
this feeling we have selected it as an object for 
his first excursion, and in its performance we 
promise him an intellectual repast of no ordinary 
kind. v 

To proceed to the Mount, by sea, the stranger 
may embark at Penzance pier, from which it is 
not more than two miles distant; by this arrange- 
ment an opportunity will be afforded for witness- 
ing a fine panoramic view of the coast ; should, 
however, his inclination, or the " tyranny of the 
winds and waves" oppose this project, he may 
proceed by land through the little village of 



46 Marazion, or Market Jew. 

Chy'andour, over a semicircular beach covered 
with fine sand of about three miles in extent. 
Between this sand and the high road is the 
" Eastern Green" celebrated as the habitat of 
some rare plants, viz. Panicum Dactylum (in a 
line with Gulval church) ; Chironia Littoralis ; 
Alisma Damasonium ; Neotiia Spiralis ; Euphorbia 
Peplis ; Euphorbia Paralias; Santolina Marilima ; 
Convolvulus Soldanella, &c. On the beach the Con- 
chologist may collect some fine specimens of the 
Echinus Cordatus, which is the only shell ever 
found there. In the marshes on the left side of the 
road the common observer will be struck with 
the extreme luxuriance of the Nymphcea alba, 
while the Botanist may reap an ample harvest 
of interesting plants, viz. splendid specimens of 
Montia Fontana, as large as the figure of Micheli ; 
Illecebrum Verticillatum ; Sison Inundatum ; Api- 
um Graveolens ; a rare variety of Senechio Jaco- 
hoza ; Alisma Ranunculoides ; Stellaria Uliginosa ; 
Pinguecula Lusilanica ; Scirpus Fluitans ; Exa- 
cum Filiforme ; Drosera Longifolia ; Scutellaria 
Minor ; Mj/rica Gale, &c. 

Before our arrival at Saint Michael's Mount, 
the only intermediate object worthy of notice is 
the town of Marazion, or Market Jew as it 
is sometimes called. It stands upon the sea 



Its Corporation and Borough. 47 

shore, on the eastern shoulder of the bay, and is 
well sheltered from cold winds by a considerable 
elevation of land to the north ; still, however, as 
it is exposed to the south-west, which is the pre- 
vailing wind, it is far less eligible as a place of 
residence for invalids than Penzance. 

The town contains more than 1100 inhabitants; 
its principal support, if not its origin, according 
to some authors, was derived from the resort of 
pilgrims and other religious devotees to the 
neighbouring sacred edifice on Saint Michael's 
Mount; but its name was indisputably derived 
from the Jews who traded here several centuries 
ago, and held an annual market for selling va- 
rious commodities, and purchasing tin, and other 
merchandize in return. In the reign of Queen 
Elizabeth it obtained a charter, vesting its go- 
vernment in a mayor, eight aldermen, and twelve 
capital burgesses, with a power to hold a weekly 
market, and two annual fairs. In the preamble 
to this charter it is stated " that Marghaisewe 
was a trading borough town of great antiquity, 
and that it suffered considerable dilapidation in 
the days of Edward VI., when a number of 
rebellious people entered, and took possession 
of the town, and laid many of the buildings in 
ruin." From this disaster the town does not 



48 The Chapel Rock. 

appear to have ever recovered, while from the 
growing* importance of Penzance, the suppression 
of the Priory, and the loss of the Pilgrims, from 
whom it derived its principal resources, its con- 
sequence gradually declined, until at length it 
dwindled into its present condition. 

It has been asserted on good anthority, that 
under this charter of Elizabeth, the town for- 
merly sent members to Parliament, and Dr. 
Borlase in his manuscripts, mentions the names 
of Thomas Wesllake, and Richard Mills, Esqrs. 
as those of the two members who were actually 
returned for Marazion in the year 1658. It does 
not, however, appear that they ever took their 
seats. It would seem, moreover, from some 
original letters which passed between the Sheriff 
of Cornwall and the mayor of this borough, du- 
ring the protectorate of Cromwell, that the in- 
habitants were solicitous to recover their long 
neglected rights ; but this effort proved ineffec- 
tual. 

In going from Marazion to the Mount, we 
pass a large insulated rock, known by the name 
of the " Chapel Rock" whereon the Pilgrims, 
who came to visit the Priory of Saint Michael, 
are said to have performed certain devotionary 
and superstitious ceremonies, in a kind of initia- 



Arrival at St. Michael's Mount. 49 

tory chapel, previous to their admission to the 
more sacred Mount ; there is not, however, the 
slightest vestige of any masonry to be discovered, 
and it would therefore seem more probable that 
it merely derived its name from its vicinity to 
the shrine of Saint Michael. The rock is com- 
posed of well marked Greenstone, resting on a 
bed of clay slate, and which, in its direction and 
dip, will be found to correspond with the slaty 
rock on the western base of the Mount. 

We arrive at Saint Michael's Mount. — The 
rock of which it is composed is of a conical form; 
gradually diminishing from a broad, craggy base, 
towards its summit, which is beautifully termi- 
nated by the tower of a chapel, so as to form a 
pyramidal figure. On its eastern base, is a small 
fishing town, holding about 250 inhabitants ; and 
a commodious pier,* capable of containing fifty 
sail of small vessels, and which proves to the 
proprietor of the Mount a considerable source of 
revenue. 

The height from low water mark to the top of 
the chapel tower is about 250 feet, being 48 feet 
higher than the monument in London. In cir- 

* This Pier has lately been considerably enlarged at the expense 
of Sir John St. Aubyn. The work was completed only in the last 
Summer (1823), and will now admit vessels of five hundred tons 
burthen. 

D 



50 Geology 

cumference at the base, the Mount measures 
nearly a mile, and is said to contain about seven 
acres of land ; such, however, is the effect of the 
vast extent of horizon, and the expanded tract 
of water which rolls around its base, that its 
real magnitude is apparently lost. 

In a mineralogical point of view, this eminence 
is certainly the most interesting in Cornwall, or 
perhaps in England; who can believe that this 
little spot has occasioned greater controversy, 
and more ink-shed than any mountain in the 
globe ? yet such is the fact ; let us therefore be- 
fore we ascend walk around its base and examine 
the geological structure which has excited so 
much attention. The scenery too is here of the 
most magnificent description ; rocks overhang 
rocks in ruinous grandeur, and appear so fear- 
fully equipoised, that, although secure in their 
immensity, they create in the mind the most 
awful apprehension of their instability, whilst 
the mighty roar of the ocean beneath, unites in 
effect with the scenery above. — All around is 

sublime. But the Geology, enough of the 

picturesque. 

The body of the rock is composed of Slate and 
Granite ; the whole northern base consists of the 
former, but no where does it extend to any 



of the Hill. 51 

height, the upper part, in every direction, con- 
sisting- of Granite. On the south side this Granite 
descends to the water's edge, and it continues to 
constitute the whole of the hill, both on the east- 
ern and western side, for about three-fourths of 
its whole extent. Where the granite terminates 
numerous veins of it appear in the slate, in many 
different directions; while the granite in its turn, 
encloses patches of slate. In the vicinity of the 
former rock the latter is found to contain so 
much Mica, as to resemble Micaceous Schist, or 
fine giained Gneiss, for which it has been erro- 
neously taken by some of our earlier observers. 
And, while at some of these junctions there would 
seem to be a mere apposition of the two rocks, 
at others, the intermixture is so complete as to 
render it difficult to say to which of the two cer- 
tain considerable masses belong. 

Here then is the phenomenon which has in- 
vested the spot with so much geological interest. 
Here is Granite, which Werner conceived to be a 
primary formation, and around which he sup- 
posed all other rocks to have been deposited, if 
not of a later date, at least contemporaneous, in 
origin, with slate. How is this anomaly to be 
explained? De Luc at once asserts what we 
presume no rational observer can for one moment 
i)2 



52 Geology 

believe, that the rock of which these veins are 
composed is not true Granite, but " Pseudo- 
granite" ! Dr. Berger attempts to surmount the 
difficulty by a different expedient, and declares 
that they are not veins ! but prominences from the 
granite beneath, which have been filled up by 
the subsequent deposition of clay-slate. It might, 
says Sir H. Davy,* with nearly as much reason 
be stated, that the veins of copper and tin belong 
to a great interior metallic mass, and that they 
existed prior to the rocks in which they are 
found. The advocates of the Plutonian theory 
have, as might have been supposed, eagerly 
availed themselves of the support which this 
phenomenon is so well calculated to afford their 
favourite doctrine. They accordingly affirm that 
the granite has been raised up through the in- 
cumbent slate, into whose fissures it has insinu- 
ated itself. Upon these theories we shall offer 
no comment; it is the humble task of a " Guide" 
merely to direct the attention of the traveller to 
the phenomena themselves, and then to leave 
him to deduce his own conclusions from their 
appearance. In the fulfilment of this duty we 
recommend the geologist to proceed to the west- 
ern base of the Mount, where he will find near 

* Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
Vol. i. p. 41. 



of the Hill. 53 

the water's edge, what have been considered by 
Dr. Thomson as " two large beds of granite in 
the slate, with veins running off from them ; the 
position and appearance of which are such as to 
leave no doubt but that the great body of the 
granite has been deposited posterior to the slate 
formation." Mr, Carney on the other hand, con- 
tends that " these granitic bodies cannot with 
any propriety be called c Beds in the Slate ;' " one 
of them," says he, " is a granite vein, and al- 
though six feet wide near the granite mass, it 
becomes gradually smaller as it recedes, and 
dwindles to a point at the distance of 80 feet. 
The other is a part of the granitic mass, from 
which some veins appear to diverge ; and, in no 
•part does it overlie the slate." * 

The whole body of the Granite of the Mount 
is traversed by an uninterrupted series of quartz 
veins, which run parallel to each other with 
wonderful regularity. They are very nearly ver- 
tical, and their direction is east and west. On 
the north-east side of the Mount many of them 
can be traced into the incumbent slate ; a cir- 
cumstance which strongly supports the idea of 
the cotemporaneous origin of these two rocks. 
In the investigation of these veins the Mineralo- 

* Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
Vol. ii. p. 73. 



54 Minerals found 

gist may pass many an hour with satisfaction, we 
shall therefore point out some of the more lead- 
ing phenomena which deserve his attention. De 
Luc observed that " that part of the vein termed 
in Cornwall the Capel, and on the Continent 
Selebanque, and which is the first stratum adhe- 
rent to the sides of the fissures, changes as it 
passes through different kinds of strata, some- 
times consisting of white Quartz, sometimes of 
Mica" Dr. Forbes * says, that occasionally, 
though rarely, the line of division between the 
vein and the rock is tolerably distinct ; frequent- 
ly, however, there is rather an insensible grada- 
tion of the matter of the one into that of the 
other, than an obvious apposition of surfaces." 
The exterior parts of the veins consist of a bluish 
quartz, very compact, and uniformly containing a 
great deal of Schorl. This schorlaceous character 
is much more distinct towards the sides or walls 
of the veins, their centre being generally pure 
quartz; and, commonly, crystallized. In most of 
the veins there is a central line, or fissure, which 
divides them into two portions ; this is formed 
by the close apposition and occasional union of 



* Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
Vol. ii. p. 369. 



at the Mount* 55 

two crystallized, or, as they may be called, drusy 
surfaces. 

Since Veins must be considered as having once 
been the most active laboratories of Nature, so 
may they now be regarded as her most valua- 
ble cabinets of mineralogy. In those of Saint 
Michael's Mount may be found crystals of Apa- 
tite, from a very light to a very dark green colour, 
and exhibiting most of the modifications of form* 
which are common to that mineral ; Oxide of 
Tin; Felspar; Mica beautifully crystallized in 
tables ; Topaz in small whitish or greenish crys- 
tals, t both translucent and opaque, and which 
are extremely numerous, many hundred being 
observable on the face of some small blocks of 
granite that have fallen from the precipices. 

Pinite has been said to have been also dis- 
covered in this spot. Besides which may be found 
that rare mineral, the Triple Sulphuret of Cop- 

* See Mr. Phillips's " Elementary Introduction to Mine- 
ralogy." We shall on all occasions refer to tins work without 
reserve, as being a book which is, or ought to be, in the hands 
of every scientific traveller. Its copious catalogue of English habi- 
tats renders it extremely valuable. 

t The mineralogist is apt to overlook these Topazes, or to regard 
them as common quartz crystals, to which they bear a great resem- 
blance, until we inspect their prisms, which will rarely be found 
to be six-sided; there is also another simple mark of distinction — 
in the quartz crystal the striated appearance on its surface is 
horizontal, whereas on the Topaz it is longitudinal. 



56 



Minerals found 



per, Antimony, and Lead; Sulphuret of Tin; 
Malachite; Fluor Spar; and Wolfram. The 
occurrence of this latter mineral was, we believe, 
first noticed in the earlier edition of the present 
work, and is important in as far as its presence 
is generally supposed to afford decisive evidence 
of the primitive formation of the mountain masses 
in which it occurs. 

This spot also presents us with several lodes 
of Tin and Copper ; the latter may be traced for 
a considerable distance from the eastern to the 
southern base of the hill. The lode of Tin was 
formerly worked at the Mount, and a considerable 
quantity of ore obtained; any farther excavation, 
however, threatened to injure the foundations of 
the castle, and it was therefore prudently aban- 
doned. 

The remains of the Mine may be seen on the 
south side of the hill, and should be visited by 
the mineralogist, who will find in the Drift,* Tin 
crystals and Carbonate of Copper, besides some 
other minerals. Veins of Lead are also discover- 
able in the rocks. Mr. Came t has lately directed 
the attention of the mineralogist to the veins of 

* A Drift is a trench or foss, cut in the ground to a certain 
depth, resembling a channel dug to convey water to a mill wheel. 

f Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
Vol. ii. p. 56. 



at the Mount. 57 

Mica, which have hitherto only been found in 
the granite of this singular spot. They are sel- 
dom more than half an inch wide; and, although 
tolerably straight, are very short. They gene- 
rally consist of two layers of Mica in plates, 
which meet in the centre of the veins. Some of 
the masses of Granite which constitute the sum- 
mit of the Mount have the appearance of an old 
wall retaining, in parts, a coating of plaster; this 
is the effect of decomposition, and of the capel 
having in many places remained attached to the 
face of the rock, after the vein itself has crumbled 
down. 

The Botanist will also find some amusement 
among the rocks ; he will observe the Tamarisk, 
(Tamarix Gallica) growing in their crevices, and 
relieving by a delicate verdure the harsh unifor- 
mity of their surfaces. This shrub was probably 
imported from Normandy by the Monks. Asple- 
nium Marinum and Inula Ilelenium are also to 
be seen among the rocks — but let us leave the 
Botanist and Mineralogist to their researches, 
while we climb the hill and examine the venera- 
ble building on its summit. 

We ascend on the north-eastern side by a 
rocky winding path, in the course of which, 
several remains of its ancient fortifications pre- 



58 Castle on lite 

sent themselves; thus, about the middle of the 
hill, there is a curtain, parallel to, and flanking 
the approach, at whose western end is a ravelin, 
through which every one is to pass, walled with 
three embrasures, and at the angle in the eastern 
shoulder is a centry box to guard the passage, 
and there was formerly also an iron gate; after 
having passed this ruin, we turn to our left, and 
ascend by a flight of broken steps to the door of 
the castle, whose appearance is much more mo- 
nastic than martial. The most ancient parts of 
the building are the Entrance, with the Guard- 
room on the left hand ; the Chapel, and the for- 
mer Refectory, or common hall of the Monks. 
The other parts are of a modern date, although 
the style of their architecture confers upon them 
a corresponding air of antiquity. 

The Refectory, or Common Hall, from the 
frieze, with which it is ornamented, appears to 
have been fitted up, since the reformation, as a 
dining room for a hunting party, and is popularly 
denominated u The Chevy-Cliace Room." The 
cornice represents in stucco, the modes of hunting 
the wild boar, bull, stag, ostrich, hare, fox, and 
rabbit. At the upper end of this room are the 
royal arms, with the date 1644 ; and, at the op- 
posite end, those of the St. Aubyn family. The 



Summit of the Mount. 59 

room is 33 feet long, 16 wide, and 18 high, and 
has a solemn and imposing appearance, which is 
not a little heightened by the antique and appro- 
priate character of its furniture and ornaments. 

The Chapel exhibits a venerable monument of 
Saxon architecture; its interior has lately been 
renewed in a chaste style of elegance, aud a 
magnificent organ has been erected. During 
these repairs, in levelling a platform for the 
altar, under the eastern window, a low gothic 
door was discovered to have been closed up with 
stone in the southern wall, and then concealed 
with the raised platform ; when the enclosure 
was broken through, ten steps appeared descend- 
ing into a stone vault under the church, about 
nine feet long, six or seven broad, and nearly as 
many high. In this room was iound the skeleton 
of a very large man, without any remains of a 
coffin. The discovery, of course, gave rise to 
many conjectures, but it seems most probable, 
that the man had been there immured for some 
crime. The bones were removed and buried in 
the body of the chapel. At the same time upon 
raising the old pavement, the fragment of an 
inscribed sepulchral stone of some Prior was 
taken up; there was also a grave stone, not in- 
scribed, which Antiquaries have supposed to have 



CO Extensive Prospect 

covered the remains of Sir John Arundel, of 
Trerice, Knight, who was slain on the strand 
below, in the wars of York and Lancaster. In 
the tower of this chapel are six sweet toned bells, 
which frequently ring when Sir John St. Aubyn 
is resident; at this time also choral service is 
performed ; and, on a calm day, the undulating 
sound of the bells, and the swelling note of the 
organ, as heard on the water, produce an effect 
which it is impossible to describe. 

From the chapel, we may ascend by a narrow 
stone stair-case to the top of the tower. The 
prospect hence is of the grandest description, 
and is perhaps as striking as any that can occur 
to " mortal eye" " The immense extent of sea," 
says Dr. Maton, " raises the most sublime emo- 
tions, the waves of the British, Irish, and Atlantic 
seas all roll within the compass of the sight," 
whilst the eye is relieved from the uniform, 
though imposing grandeur of so boundless an 
horizon, by wandering on the north and west, 
over a landscape, which Claude himself might 
have transfused on his canvas. 

On one of the angles of this tower is to be seen 
the carcase of a stone lantern, in which, during 
the fishing season, and in dark tempestuous nights, 
it may reasonably be supposed that the monks, 



from the Chapel Tozcer. 61 

to whom the tithe of such fishery belonged, kept 
a light, as a guide to sailors, and a safeguard to 
their own property ; this lantern is now vulgarly 
denominated Saint Michael's Chair, since it will 
just admit one person to sit down in it ; the at- 
tempt is not without danger, for the chair, ele- 
vated above the battlements, projects so far over 
the precipice, that the climber must actually turn 
the whole body at that altitude, in order to take 
a seat in it; notwithstanding the danger, how- 
ever, it is often attempted ; indeed one of the 
first questions generally put to a stranger, if 
married, after he has visited the Mount, — did 
you sit in the chair : — for there is a conceit that, 
if a married woman has sufficient resolution to 
place herself in it, it will at once invest her with 
all the regalia of petticoat government ; and that 
if a married man sit in it, he will thereby receive 
ample powers for the management of his wife. 
This is probably a remnant of monkish fable, a 
supposed virtue conferred by some saint, perhaps 
a legacy of St. Keyne, for the same virtue is at- 
tributed to her well. 

" The person of that man or wife, 
Whose chance, or choice attains 
First of this sacred stream to drink, 
Thereby the mastery gains." 



62 Natural History, 

On the north-eastern side of the fabric are 
situated the modern apartments. They were 
erected by the late Sir John St, Aubyn upon the 
ruins of the ancient convent, in clearing- away 
which, cart loads of human bones were dug up, 
and interred elsewhere, the remains probably 
both of the nuns and of the garrison. All that 
deserves notice in this part are two handsome 
rooms leading into each other, from which the 
prospect is of the most extensive description. In 
the first parlour, placed in niches, are two large 
vases, with an alto relief of statuary marble in 
each, relating to Hymeneal happiness. 

Let us now take a review of the various inter- 
esting events, which the traditionary lore of past 
ages represents as having occurred at this spot, 
and first of the natural history of the Hill itself. 

The Natural History. — The rock of the 
Mount has worn the same aspect for ages ; tra- 
dition however whispers, that at a remote period 
it presented a very different appearance, — that it 
was cloathed with wood, and at a considerable 
distance from the sea ! Its old Cornish name, 
" Car r eg Lug en Kug" that is, the hoary rock 
in the wood, would seem to add some probability 
to the tradition. It appears also from the origi- 
nal charter of the Confessor, that the Mount was 



Ecclesiastical History. 63 

in his time only nigh the sea, for he describes it 
expressly as Saint Michael near the sea, " Sanct- 
um Michaelum qui est juxta mare. " What this 
distance was the charter does not inform us, but 
the words of Worcester, who gained his informa- 
tion from the legend of Saint Michael, are suffi- 
ciently decisive, " this place was originally in- 
closed within a very thick wood, distant from the 
ocean six miles > affording the finest shelter to wild 
beasts." With respect to the period and causes 
of the catastrophe which have changed the face 
of this country, we have already offered some 
observations. 

Ecclesiastical History. — The Mount ap- 
pears to have been consecrated by superstition 
from the earliest period ; and, according to monk- 
ish legends, from the supposed appearance of the 
archangel Saint Michael to some hermits, upon 
one of its craggy points. Tradition has not pre- 
served the place where the vision appeared, but 
antiquarianism has attempted to supply the defi- 
ciency by conjecture ; the spot was denominated 
" Saint Michael's Chair " and is said to be one 
of the large rocks overhanging the battery, an 
appellation which has been erroneously trans- 
ferred to the carcase of a stone lantern, situated, 
as we have just stated, on the tower of the chapel * 



64 Ecclesiastical History. 

Our poet Milton alludes to this vision in the fol- 
lowing passage of his Lycidas — 

" Or whether thou to our moist views deny'd 

" Sleeps't by the fable of Bellerus old 

" Where the great vision of the guarded mount 

" Looks towards Naraancos and Bayonas hold. 

" Look homeward Angel now, and melt with ruth, 

" And O ye dolphins, waft the hapless youth." 

Spencer also makes mention of this spot in a 
manner which proves that it was universally hal- 
lowed by the devout. 

" In evil hour thou Ienst in hond 

" Thus holy hills to blame, 

" For sacred unto Saints they stond, 

" And of them han their name, 

ct St. Michael's Mount who does not know 

" That wards the western coast." 

Very little is known with respect to the eccle- 
siastical history of the Mount, previous to its 
endowment by Edward the Confessor. From 
what may be collected, however, from expiring* 
tradition, it would appear that so early as the 
end of the fifth century, Saint Keyne, a holy vir- 
gin of the blood royal, daughter of Breganus 
Prince of Brecknockshire, with her cockle hat 
and staff, performed a pilgrimage to Saint Mi- 
chael's Mount : now it is fair to conclude that it 
was before this time a place universally hallowed, 
or a person of Saint Keyne's rank would not have 



of Saint Michael's Mount. 65 

paid it such a visit; thus then was it renowned 
for its sanctity for at least five hundred years 
before the grant and settlement of it by the 
Confessor; before this period, however, it was 
probably little more than an hermitage, or ora- 
tory, with the necessary reception for pilgrims. 

The Confessor found monks here serving God, 
and gave them by charter the property of the 
Mount together with " all the land of Vennefire 
(a district probably in Cornwall), with the towns, 
houses, fields, meadows, land cultivated, and 
uncultivated, with their rents; together with a 
port called Ruminella (Romney in Kent), with 
all things that appertain, as mills and fisheries," 
first obliging them to conform the rule of the 
order of Saint Benedict. 

The peculiar respect in which this church was 
held may be estimated from an instrument re- 
corded by William of Worcester, and asserted to 
have been found amongst its ancient registers. 

" To all members of Holy Mother Church, who 
" shall read or hear these letters, Peace and Sal- 
" vation. Be it known unto you all, that our 
" Most Holy Lord Pope Gregory, in the year of 
" Christ's Incarnation, 1070, out of his great zeal 
" and devotion to the church of Mount Saint 
" Michal, in Tumba, in the county of Cornwall, 

E 



66 Ecclesiastical History 

" hath piously granted to the aforesaid church, 
" which is entrusted to the Angelical Ministry, 
" and with full approbation, consecrated and 
u sanctified, to remit to all the faithful, who shall 
" enrich, endow, or visit the said church, a third 
u part of their Penance, and that this grant may 
" remain for ever unshaken and inviolable, by 
¥ the authority of God the Father, and of the 
" Son, and of the Holy Ghost, he forbids all his 
" Successors from attempting to make any altera- 
" tion against this Decree." 

We learn from the same author, that in order 
to encrease, as much as possible, the influx of 
votaries to the shrine, the above decree was 
placed publicly on the gates of the church, and 
enjoined to be read in other churches. 

When the Normans came in, Robert Earl of 
Morton and Cornwall became the patron of this 
religious house, erected buildings, and gave some 
lands, but from a superior affection for Nor- 
mandy, he abridged its liberties, and annexed it 
to the monastery of Saint Michael de periculo 
Maris, on the coast of Normandy, to which situ- 
ation the Mount is said to bear a striking resem- 
blance; from this time, it became only a cell 
dependant upon, and subordinate to that foreign 
priory. As these Monks were of the reformed 



of Saint Michael's Mount. 67 

order of Benedictines, and of the Gilbertine kind, 
a nunnery was allowed in their vicinity; this 
they would make us believe was done with no 
other view, than to shew the triumph of faith 
over the impulse of sense, but it certainly must 
be confessed, to speak even most charitably of it, 
that such an union amid the sequestration of soli- 
tude, carries a strange appearance with it to our 
protestant suspiciousness. The remains of this 
convent, we have already said, were removed by 
the late proprietor, and the New Buildings, as 
they are called, erected on their site ; from the 
appearance of the carved fragments of stone, and 
other marks of architectural distinction, found 
among the ruins, the Nunnery appears to have 
been by far the most costly and magnificent part 
of the edifice, the result we presume of Monkish 
gallantry. Its establishment appears to have ter- 
minated at the time Pomeroy surprised it, (an 
account of which transaction is recorded under 
the military history,) but the Priory continued a 
cell to Saint Michael's in Normandy, until that 
connection was destroyed, and all the alien prio- 
ries were seized in the reign of Edward the 
Third. 

Henry the Sixth granted this Priory to King's 
College, Cambridge, but it was afterwards trans- 
e2 



68 Ecclesiastical History 

ferred by Edward the Fourth to the nunnery of 
Sion, Middlesex; and so it continued until the 
general dissolution; at which period its revenues 
were valued at sSHQ : 12s. per annum, a con- 
siderable sum at that time, especially as the num- 
ber of Monks maintained on the foundation never 
exceeded six ; this sum, together with the govern- 
ment of the Mount, which was then a military 
post, was bestowed on Hugh Arundel, who was 
executed for rebellion in the year 1548. On his 
death it was demised to John Mi Hi ton of Penger- 
sick, Esq., to William his son, and further to 
William Harris, Esq. of Hayne in Devonshire, 
connected by marriage with the family of Milli- 
ton. Queen Elizabeth, by Letters Patent, in the 
29th years of her reign, demised it to Arthur 
Harris* of Kenegie, Esq. a younger son of the 
above William Harris, for life. It is in the 
Patent (which recites the former grants to the 
Millitons) described as in the notet below. Arthur 

* Ancestor of William Arundel Harris Arundel, Esq. of Kenegie. 

•f Firmam nrtsm sti michis ad montem in dco nro cornub ac tot 
ilium scit domu mansional sive capital messuag nrm vocat Sainte 
Michaells Mounte als diet the Priorie of Sainte Michalls Mounte in 
dco com nso cornub quondm menastr de Sion in com nro midd 
spectan & ptinen habendum & tenendum ad tmnm & pr tmno vite 
natural ipsius Arthuri Harris. Reddendo inde annuatim nob 
hered & successoribs nris viginti sex libras ties decern solid et 
quatuor denar legalis monete Angel." &c. 



Of Saint Michael's Mount. 69 

Harris was about this time appointed Governor 
of the Mount, and held that appointment until 
his decease in 1628. It was then granted, it is 
supposed, in trust for the Earl of Salisbury, from 
whom it passed to Francis Bassett, Esq. who 
being imprisoned by the usurping powers in the 
reign of Charles the First, was obliged in order 
to purchase his liberty to part with it to John St. 
Aubyn, Esq. in whose family it now remains. 
The present Baronet seldom visits it, a circum- 
stance universally regretted, for no gentleman 
better understands how to grace the venerable 
seat with Knightly dignity and splendor : Sir 
John too is a zealous mineralogist, and might by 
his presence in Cornwall contribute essentially 
to the progress of that science ; in one respect 
his absence is fortunately supplied by the vigi- 
lance of his agents, and every geologist ought to 
feel obliged to them, we allude to the care with 
which they protect the picturesque and minera- 
logical beauties of the rocks by opposing the 
sacrilegious removal of any part of them. 

Military History From the time of King 

Edward the Confessor, to the middle of the reign 
of Richard the First, the Mount appears to have 
been exclusively the sacred nursery of religion ; 



70 Military History 

the earliest transaction of a military nature was 
during the captivity of Richard the First, in Ger- 
many, when Henry de la Pomeroy, of Berry 
Pomeroy in Devonshire, having stabbed a Ser- 
jeant at arms who came to summon him to appear 
for a heavy crime, fled into Cornwall, and cast 
himself upon the protection of John, Earl of 
that province, who readily supplied him with an 
armed force, for he was then aspiring to his bro- 
ther's throne ; with this, Pomeroy went in dis- 
guise to the Mount, and under a pretence of 
visiting his sister, who was in the nunnery, gained 
admission, and treacherously reduced it to the 
service of the said John ; upon the return how- 
ever of the King from imprisonment, he surren- 
dered the garrison on mercy, although, despairing 
himself of pardon, he soon died, or as some say, 
caused himself to be bled to death ; after this 
event, the Prior and the Monks were restored to 
the full possession of their cells, revenues, snd 
chapel; a small garrison however was still main- 
tained, to defend it against the sudden invasion 
of enemies, and in this condition, " manned out 
with carnal and spiritual soldiers," did the Mount 
remain for a space of 275 years, when another 
military transaction occurred to disturb its re- 
pose. After the defeat of the Lancastrians at 



of Saint Michael y s Mount. 7 1 

Barnet, in the eighteenth year of Edward the 
Fourth, John Vere, Earl of Oxford, one of the 
most zealous partisans, fled from the field, set 
sail for Saint Michael's Mount, and having dis- 
guised himself, together with a few attendants, 
in the habits of pilgrims, obtained entrance, mas- 
sacred the unsuspecting garrison, and seized the 
fortress, which he valiantly defended for some 
time against the forces of Edward, but was at 
length compelled to surrender. Sir John Arundel 
de Trerice, Sheriff of Cornwall, at the command 
of the King, marched thither with posse comitatus 
to besiege it, but he fell a victim on the sands, 
at its base, and lies buried in the chapel. 

In King Henry the Seventh's reign, the Lady 
Catherine Gordon, wife of Perkin Warbeck, the 
pretended son of Edward the Fourth, remained 
here for safety, but after the flight of her hus- 
band, she was taken prisoner by Giles, Lord 
Banbury, and carried before that King. 

During: the Cornish commotion in the reign of 
Edward the Sixth, many of the superior families 
fled to the Mount for security, and were besieged 
by the rebels, who took the plain at the bottom 
of the rock by assault, at the time of low water, 
and afterwards the summit, by carrying great 
trusses of hay before them to obstruct the defen- 



72 Military History 

dants sight, and deaden their shot. This situa- 
tion, together with the fears of the women, and 
the want of food, obliged the besieged to sur- 
render. During the civil contentions in the reign 
of Charles the First, the fortifications of the 
Mount were so much increased, that the works 
were styled " impregnable and almost inacces- 
sible" The Parliament forces, however, under 
the command of Colonel Hammond, reduced the 
place, and liberated the Duke of Hamilton, who 
was there confined; a service which the his- 
torians of that period represent as full of danger 
and difficulty, and this was the last military tran- 
saction that occurred upon this romantic spot. 
Several batteries were erected by government 
during the late war, to command the western 
part of the bay, the eastern being too shallow to 
allow the entrance of large vessels. 

We cannot conclude this account of the Mount 
without observing, that several antiquarians have 
considered it as the Ictis of Diodorus, whither 
the Greek merchants traded for Cornish Tin ; 
the limits of this work will not allow us to enter 
upon the discussion, but we beg to refer the 
curious reader to an ingenious work, published 
by Sir Christopher Hawkins,* and to Dr. Maton's 

* See Sir C. Hawkins's Tract on the Tin Trade of the ancients 
in Cornwall, and on the Ictis of Diodorus Siculus. 



of Saint Michael y s Mount. 73 

u Observations on the Western Counties. It is 
curious, and satisfactory, that these gentlemen 
should have arrived at the same conclusion upon 
the subject, and by nearly the same train of rea- 
soning-, without any previous communication with 
each other. 




74 To the Land's End, 



EXCURSION II. 

TO THE LAND'S END.— LOGAN ROCK, &c. 



" The Sun beams tremble, and the purple light 
Illumes the dark Bolerium ; — seat of storms, 
High are his granite rocks ; his frowning brow 
Hangs o'er the smiling ocean. In his caves, 
Where sleep the haggard spirits of the storm, 
Wild dreary are the schistose rocks around, 
Encircled by the waves, where to the breeze 
The haggard cormorant shrieks ; and far beyond 
Are seen the cloud-like islands, grey in mists." 

Sir H. Davy. 



In an excursion to the Land's End the travel- 
ler will meet with several intermediate objects 
well worthy his attention, more worthy, perhaps, 
than the celebrated promontory itself, as being 
monuments of the highest antiquity in the king- 
dom. They consist of " Druidical circles, Cairns, 
or circular heaps of stones, Cromlechs, Crosses, 
Military Entrenchments, and the obscure remains 
of Castles. Many of these venerable objects, 
however, to the eternal disgrace of the inhabi- 



Castle Horneck, and Rose Hill, 75 

tants be it spoken, have of late been much muti- 
lated, and indeed some have been entirely de- 
molished. That the noblest monuments of Greece 
should have been converted into lime by the 
barbarous Turks, or that the temple of Diana 
should have furnished a cement for the volup- 
tuous apartments of the Haram, are instances of 
degeneracy which we might have been prepared 
to witness in such a people ; but that the venera- 
ble remains of British antiquity, the silent but 
faithful monuments of men and days long- past, 
which are so interesting from their connection 
with the primitive history of our island, should 
in this enlightened age have been sawed into gate 
posts, or converted into pig-troughs, is really 
past all endurance.— But to proceed. — In riding 
from Penzance to the Land's End, which is about 
ten miles distant, the first objects to be noticed 
are two beautiful villas, well wooded, and ad- 
joining each other, — Castle- Homeric, the seat 
of the Borlase family, and Rose Hill, the pro- 
perty of the Rev. Uriah Tonkin. The sea and 
land views from these houses are of the most 
enchanting description. In viewing the latter 
place, the stranger will scarcely believe that the 
spot which now exhibits so rich a pastural scene, 
was a few years since a deformed and barren 



76 Trereiffe. 

rock ! but what cannot gold effect, or where is 
the wild which its magic cannot convert into 
fairy land ? The cost of the gunpowder alone 
for blowing up the rocks to facilitate their remo- 
al amounted to several hundred pounds. 

About a mile farther west, the road passes 
another villa, Trereiffe, the ancient seat of the 
family of Nicholls, who have been proprietors of 
the great tythes of the parish of Madron from the 
period of the reformation. It is now the resi- 
dence of the Rev. Charles Valentine Le Grice, 
into whose possession it has passed by marriage. 
The scenery about this place is of a very ex- 
quisite cast, and, from the richness of the land, 
and luxuriance of its productions, it may be 
fairly denominated the garden of the Mount's 
Bay. After passing through a shady avenue, 
from which we catch a delicious peep of the sea 
bounded by a grotesque group of rocks, we take 
leave of the picturesque, and plunge into a coun- 
try of a very different aspect and description, — 
rough, wild, and unsheltered ; never was contrast 
more complete or striking, not a tree is seen to 
break the extended uniformity of the hills, nor is 
there a single object, with the exception of a few 
scattered monuments of antiquity, to recommend 
it to notice. The agriculturist may, perhaps, 



Wild Downs. 77 

view the district with somewhat different sen- 
sations, for the downs are certainly improveable, 
and those portions which have been brought into 
tillage have amply rewarded the labour of the 
adventurer : indeed in several districts cultivation 
has even spread to the very brim of the ocean. 

The natural product of the high lands is only a 
thin turf interspersed with heath, fern and furze,* 
and many huge blocks of granite are disseminated 
in all directions ; this circumstance has materially 
impeded the progress of cultivation, for in order 
to remove these boulders it is necessary to blast 
them with gunpowder; the fragments, however, 

* This product is carefully collected, and preserved in stacks 
by the inhabitants, for the purpose of fuel. It is worthy of re- 
mark that the nature of the fuel employed in a country always 
imparts a character to its cookery, hence the striking difference 
between that of Paris and London; so in Cornwall, the conveni- 
ence afforded by the furze in the process of Baking, has given 
origin to the general use of pies. Every article of food is dressed 
in a pie, whence it has become a proverb, that " the Devil will 
not come into Cornwall, for fear of being put into a pie." In a 
season of scarcity the Attorneys of the county having at the 
Quarter Sessions very properly resolved to abstain from every 
kind of pastry, an allusion to the above proverb was very happily 
introduced into an Epigram, extemporaneously delivered on the 
occasion, and which, from its point and humour, deserves to be 
recorded — 

" If the proverb be true, that the fame of our pies 

Prevents us from falling to Satan a prey, 
It is clear that his friends — the Attorneys, — are wise 

In moving such obstacles out of the way.'* 



78 Growan, its uses. 

become useful in their turn, and are employed in 
making enclosures, which bear the provincial 
name of hedges. This stone, commonly called 
Growan, is, moreover, wrought into columnar 
masses, eight or ten feet long, which are used as 
supporters to sheds and outhouses, or gates posts, 
and bridges over rivulets. It is also the material 
of which common rollers, mill-stones, salting and 
pig troughs are made ; in short, few stones are 
converted to more various purposes of rural 
ceconomy, and it accordingly forms an article of 
some commercial value. The mode of splitting it 
into the required forms is somewhat curious ; it 
is effected by applying several wedges to holes 
cut, or pooled as it is termed, in the surface of 
the stone at the distance of three or four inches 
from each other, according to its size and hard- 
ness ; the harder the mass, the easier it may be 
split into the required form ; the softer, the less 
regularly it separates. The blocks of granite 
employed in the construction of the Waterloo 
Bridge over the Thames were procured from the 
downs in the vicinity of Penhryn.* 

* We insert the following facts collected by Dr. Paris, from the 
first volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of 
Cornwall — " The total quantity of Granite shipped at Falmouth 
during the last seven years, amounts to Forty Thousand Tons. It 
has been employed for building the Docks at Chatham, and the 



Applied as a Manure. 



79 



The Granite of the Land's End district is re- 
markable for its coarse grain, and the large pro- 
portion of its felspar, which, according to the 
observations of Dr. Paris, may be estimated as 
high as from 70 to 90 per cent. It moreover pos- 
sesses an earthy texture, which greatly accelerates 
its decomposition. This circumstance will in 
some measure account for the unusual fertility of 
the growan soil in the parishes of Saint Burian, 
Sennen, and Saint Levan. It will moreover 
explain the theory of a practice, which would 
otherwise appear absurd, that of actually apply- 
ing the disintegrated growan to certain lands as 
a manure ! 

On a closer examination of this Granite, the 
prismatic crystals of felspar will often be found 
to exhibit that structure which Hail?/ calls hemi- 
trope ; more often, they are termed macks, and 



"Waterloo Bridge in London. The lands in the vicinity of Penhryn 
have furnished it ; indeed the quantity actually quarried has been 
considerably greater, for many of the blocks, in consequence of 
being damaged, have been condemned and sold at a low price to 
the inhabitants for building, and other purposes. The number of 
men generally employed in quarrying it is about four hundred ? 
their wages from twelve to eighteen shillings per week, varying 
with the quantity raised. The lord of the soil receives one half- 
penny a foot for all that is quarried ; the freight during war was 
as high as 25 shillings per ton, at present it is only 16s. Fourteen 
cubic feet weigh one ton. The weight of the blocks generally varies, 
from five cwt. to seven tons. 



80 Cornish Agriculture. 



S' 



are compounded of two crystals intersecting each 
other at particular angles. 

The Botanist as he rides along in the Summer 
months will observe amongst the gorse (Ulex), 
which is abundant on each side of the road, the 
parasitical plant Cuscuta Epithymum, (called 
Epiphany by the country people,) winding its 
spiral structure in all directions, and producing 
from its reddish hue a beautiful contrast. 

The farming of this country is in general slo- 
venly, and certainly very far behind any other 
part of the kingdom,* although it is but just to 
acknowledge that Leha, a farm situated near the 
Land's End road, forms a pleasing exception to 
this general remark. The proprietor, John 
Scobell Esq. of Nancealverne, has here intro- 
duced the Drill Husbandry of Northumberland, 
which would seem to be well adapted to a coun- 
try so infested with weeds, those hungry invaders 
of the farmer's property, and usurpers of his soil. 
The farmers have a peculiar practice, obviously 
suggested by the inconstancy of the weather, that 
of putting up their wheat, barley, and other kinds 

* It is not more than three hundred years since the art of hus- 
bandry was first introduced. The lands were formerly all in com- 
mon, and the inhabitants being wholly engaged in the mines, actu- 
ally let out their pastures to the graziers of Devon, by whom they 
were in return supplied with cattle and corn. 



Ancient Crosses — Druidical Circles. 81 

of grain, in the field into what are called " Arish- 
mows." The sheaves are built up into a regular 
solid cone about twelve feet high ; the beards all 
turned inwards, and the butt end only exposed 
to the weather. The whole is finished by an 
inverted sheaf of reed or corn and tied to the 
upper rows. 

The first objects of antiquity which we have to 
notice are the stone crosses placed by the roads' 
side ; some of them still retain their original 
situation, while others, broken and mutilated, 
have been converted into the various purposes of 
rural ceconomy. They appear to have been ori- 
ginally designed as guides to direct the pilgrim 
to the different churches. A few of the more 
remarkable of tbem are represented as vignettes 
in different parts of the present work, from which 
the reader will become acquainted with their 
general appearance. 

At Boscawen-Un, in a field about a quarter 
of a mile west of Leha, we meet with one of the 
most ancient British monuments in the kingdom ; 
" a Druidical circle" as it has been pronounced, 
consisting of nineteen stones, some of which have 
fallen, placed in a circle of about twenty-five 
feet in diameter, having a single one in the cen- 
tre. There is considerable doubt and obscurity 

F 



82 Chapel Euny. 

witli respect to the origin and intended use of 
these circles, of which there are many similar 
examples in Cornwall. Camden is inclined to 
consider them as military trophies, while Borlase 
deems it highly probable that such monuments 
were of religious institution, and designed origi- 
nally and principally for the rites of worship ; at 
the same time he conceives " they might some- 
times have been employed as places of council 
and judgment, and that, whilst any council or 
decree was pending, the principal persons con- 
cerned stood, each by his pillar, and that where 
a middle stone was erected, as at Boscawen- Un, 
there stood the Prince or General elect." This 
must certainly be acknowledged as one of the 
most extraordinary specimens of antiquarian 
dreaming ever presented to the public. 

About half a mile to the right of the high 
road stands an object of later origin, but not 
of less interest to the antiquary ; the ruins of a 
small oratory, or baptistry, dedicated to Saint 
Euinus, and commonly known by the name of 
Chapel Euny. It is situated near a well, whose 
waters have been long supposed to possess very 
extraordinary virtues, and to have performed 
many miraculous cures. There is a similar ruin, 
which we shall hereafter have occasion to notice 



Caerbran Castle. 83 

at Madron; and it is worthy of remark that 
these wells do not possess any mineral impreg- 
nation ; the sick, however, at this very day, repair 
to them, while the credulous attempt to read the 
future in the appearance of the bubbles produced 
in their waters by the dropping in of pins or 
pebbles. This mode of divining is perhaps one 
of the most ancient superstitions that have de- 
scended to us, and was termed Hydromancy. 
The Castalian fountain, and many others amongst 
the Grecians, were supposed to be of a prophetic 
nature; thus, by dipping a fair mirror into a well 
did the Patraeans of Greece receive, as they vainly 
imagined, some notice of ensuing sickness, or 
convalescence. 

On the summit of the hill above these ruins, 
are situated the remains of Caerbran Castle or 
Round (that is Brennus's Castle) which is thus 
described by Borlase. " It is a circular fortifi- 
cation, consisting first of a deep ditch, fifteen 
feet wide, edged with stone, through which you 
pass to the outer vallum, which is of earth, fifteen 
feet high, and was well perfected towards the 
north-east, but not so towards the west; within 
this vallum, passing a large ditch about fifteen 
yards wide, you come to a stone wall, which 
quite rounded the top of the hill, and seems to 
f 2 



84 Chapel Cam Bre. 

have been of considerable strength, but lies, 
now, like a ridge of disorderly stones ; the dia- 
meter of the whole is ninety paces, and in the 
centre of all is a little circle." 

There are no less than seven of these hill cas- 
tles, as they are termed, although they might 
with more propriety be called strong entrench- 
ments, to be seen at this time within ^\e miles 
around Penzance ; all so placed on the hills as 
to admit of immediate communication with each 
other by signal. From several of them we have 
views of the North and South Channel, but from 
all of them either that of one sea or the other. 
Much doubt has arisen concerning their origin. 
Mr. Polwhele attributes them to the Irish, while 
Dr. Borlase, like an orthodox antiquary, who 
takes shelter, whenever he is bewildered, under 
the sanction of a popular name, at once boldly 
decides upon their Danish origin. 

The lonely ruins of Chapel Cam Bre next 
attract our notice; they are situated upon the 
extremity of a high granite ridge, overlooking 
the surfy recess of Whitsand Bay; from their 
great elevation they are visible from every part 
of the country, although they scarcely form a 
skeleton of the original building, and in a short 
time, probably, not a vestige will remain to mark 



Sennan Church-town. 85 

the consecrated spot. It appears to have been a 
Chantry, erected for the performance of religious 
service for the safety of mariners. It is not for 
the inspection of these ruins that we direct the 
stranger to ascend the hill, for they are too in- 
significant to merit attention, but it is for the 
purpose of his viewing the extensive prospect 
which its summit commands, — a wild expanse of 
waters occupying twenty-nine points of the com- 
pass ! — From this spot also Saint Michael's Mount 
has a singularly fine effect, appearing as if placed 
in the centre of a lake at a distance from the 
ocean. 

We now proceed to Sennan Church-town,* 
which according to barometrical admeasurement 
is 391 feet above the level of the sea. It is about 
a mile from the Land's End, and is celebrated 
for containing the Ale-house whimsically called 
" The First and Last Inn in England." On the 
western side of its sign is inscribed " The First," 
and on the eastern side " The Last Inn in Eng- 
land." 

The last village towards the Land's End is 
named Mai/on or Mean. In this place is the 

* Cknrch-Town. This expression is peculiar to Cornwall — the 
fact is, that since many market, and even Borough towns are with- 
out a church, the Cornish dignify those that have it with the title 
of Church-town. 



86 The Land's End. 

large stone spoken of by Dr. Borlase under the 
name of " Table mean" and concerning which 
there is a vague tradition that three kings once 
dined together on it, in their journey to the 
Land's End. 

On the turf between this village and the Land's 
End, the Botanist will find Bartsia Viscosa, and 
Illocebrum V erticillatum^ the latter of which is 
peculiar to this county. 

Having arrived at the celebrated Promontory, 
we descend a rapid slope, which brings us to a 
bold group of rocks, composing the western ex- 
tremity of our island. Some years ago a military 
officer who visited this spot, was rash enough to 
descend on horseback; the horse soon became 
unruly, plunged, reared, and, fearful to relate, 
fell backwards over the precipice, and rolling 
from rock to rock was dashed to atoms before it 
reached the sea. The rider was for some time 
unable to disengage himself, but at length by a 
desperate effort he threw himself off, and was 
happily caught by some fragments of rock, at 
the very brink of the precipice, where he re- 
mained suspended in a state of insensibility until 
assistance could be afforded him ! The awful 
spot is marked by the figure of a horse-shoe, 
traced on the turf with a deep incision, which is 



Its magnificent Scenery. 87 

cleared out from time to time, in order to pre- 
serve it as a monument of rashness which could 
be alone equalled by the good fortune with which 
it was attended. 

Why any promontory in an island should be 
exclusively denominated the Land's End, it is 
difficult to understand; yet so powerful is the 
charm of a name, that many persons have visited 
it on no other account ; the intelligent tourist, 
however, will receive a much more substantial 
gratification from his visit ; the great geological 
interest of the spot will afford him an ample 
source of entertainment and instruction, while 
the magnificence of its convulsed scenery, the 
ceaseless roar, and deep intonation of the ocean, 
and the wild shrieks of the Cormorant, all com- 
bine to awaken the blended sensations of awe 
and admiration. 

The cliff which bounds this extremity is rather 
abrupt than elevated, not being more than sixty 
feet above the level of the sea. It is composed 
entirely of Granite, the forms of which present a 
very extraordinary appearance, assuming in some 
places the resemblance of shafts that had been 
regularly cut with the chisel; in others, regular 
equidistant fissures divide the rock into horizon- 
tal masses, and give it the character of basaltic 



88 Cape Cornwall. 

columns ; in other places, again, the impetuous 
waves of the ocean have opened, for their retreat, 
gigantic arches, through which the angry billows 
roll and bellow with tremendous fury. 

Several of these rocks from their grotesque 
forms have acquired whimsical appellations, as 
that of the Armed Knight, the Irish Lad?/, &c. 
An inclining rock on the side of a craggy head- 
land, south of the Land's End, has obtained the 
name of Dr. Johnsons Head, and visitors after 
having heard the appellation seldom fail to ac- 
knowledge that it bears some resemblance to the 
physiognomy of that extraordinary man. 

On the north, this rocky scene is terminated 
by a promontory 229 feet above the level of the 
sea, called " Cape Cornwall,''' between which and 
the Land's End, the coast retires, and forms 
Whitsand Bay ; a name which it derives from 
the peculiar whiteness of its sand, and amongst 
which the naturalist will find several rare micro- 
scopic shells. There are, besides, some historical 
recollections which invest this spot with interest. 
It was in this bay that Stephen landed on his first 
arrival in England ; as did king John, on his re- 
turn from Ireland ; and Perkin Warbeck, in the 
prosecution of those claims to the crown to which 
some late writers have been disposed to consider 



Long-ships Lighthouse. 89 

that he was entitled, as the real son of Edward 
the Fourth. In the rocks near the southern ter- 
mination of Whitsand Bay may be seen the junc- 
tion of the granite and slate ; large veins of the 
former may be also observed to traverse the 
latter in all directions. 

In viewing the whole of the scenery of this 
stern coast " it is impossible" says De Luc, not 
to be struck with the idea, that the bed of the sea 
is the effect of a vast subsidence, in which the strata 
were broken off on the edge of what, by the re- 
treat of the sea towards the sunken part, became 
a continent; the many small islands, or rocks of 
granite, appear to be the memorials of the land's 
abridgement, being evidently parts of the sunken 
6trata remaining more elevated than the rest." 
There is a small Archipelago of this kind called 
the Long-ships, at the distance of two miles west 
of the Land's end ; on the largest of these rocks 
is a light-house, which was erected in conse- 
quence of the very dangerous character of the 
coast, by a Mr. Smith, in the year 1797, who ob- 
tained a grant from the Trinity House, and was 
rewarded for a limited number of years by a cer- 
tain rate on all ships that passed it. This period 
having expired, it is at present under the juris- 



90 Tradition of the Lioness. 

diction of the Trinity House.* The tower is con- 
structed of granite, the stones of which are ire* 
nailed on the same plan as that adopted by Smea- 
ton in the construction of the Eddystone light- 
house. The circumference of the tower at its 
base is 68 feet; the height from the rock to the 
vane of the lantern, 52 feet; and from the sea to 
the base of the light-house it is 60 feet ; but not- 
withstanding this elevation its lantern has been 
often dashed to pieces by the spray of the ocean 
during the winter's tempest ! The management 
of this establishment is entrusted to two men, 
who during the winter are often, for two or three 
months, confined to this sea-girt prison without 
the possibility of communicating with the land ; 
they accordingly lay in a store of provisions, as 
if they were about to embark for a long voyage. 

We have already stated that the historians of 
Cornwall, from Leland, Norden, and Carew, 
downwards, have all recorded the ancient tra- 
dition of a considerable portion of the Mount's 
bay having been formerly woodland. They have 
likewise handed down the concurrent tradition 
relative to the supposed tract of land which once 

* We take this opportunity to state, that the annual revenue of 
the Long-ships lighthouse is about three thousand pounds. Every 
British vessel that passes pays a halfpenny per ton ; — every foreign 
vessel pays one shilling, without reference to its tonnage. 






Scilly Islands. 91 

connected the islands of Scilly with Cornwall. 
This tract, to which we are told was given the 
name of the Lioness (" the Silurian Lyonois") 
is said to have contained one hundred and forty 
parish churches, all of which were swept away 
by the resistless ocean ! As to the Cornish word 
Lethowstow, or Lioness, by which the sea be- 
tween Scilly and Cornwall is distinguished, we 
may observe, that the appropriation of such a 
term is sufficiently accounted for from the general 
violence and turbulence of the sea, just as the 
celebrated rock lying south of the channel be- 
tween the Land's end and Scilly retains the name 
of the Wolf,* from the howling of the waves 
around it. Those who may wish for farther evi* 
dence upon this subject may consult Mr. Boase's 
excellent memoir " On the submersion of part of 
the Mount's bay," published in the second volume 
of the Transactions of the Geological Society of 
Cornwall. 

We shall in this place make a short digression, 
in order to afford some account of the Scilly 
Islands, which are situated in a cluster about 
nine leagues, west by south, from the Land's 
end, and are distinctly visible from it. 



* It is a curious fact that the whole or part of this rock is Lime 
stone. 



92 Scilly Islands, 

The Scilly Islands were called by the 
Greeks Hcsperides and Capiterides, or the Tin 
Isles, and by this name they are mentioned by 
Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, and Solinus. They 
must, however, have undergone some material 
revolution since the age of these writers, for we 
fail in every attempt to reconcile their present 
state with the description which they have trans- 
mitted to us; and what is very unaccountable, 
not a vestige of any ancient mine can be dis- 
covered in the islands, except in one part of 
Trescow; and these remains are so limited, that 
they rather give an idea of an attempt at dis- 
covery, than of extensive and permanent mi- 
ning. We are strongly inclined to believe that 
the Tin of those days came, in part at least, from 
the opposite coast of Saint Just, but of this we 
shall hereafter speak more fully. In the time of 
Strabo we learn that the number of these Islands 
did not exceed ten, whereas at present there are 
upwards of one hundred and forty, but of which 
the following only are inhabited, viz. Saint 
Mary's, Saint Agnes\ Saint Martin's Trescow, 
Bryer, and Sampson, It is curious that the name 
of the cluster should have been derived from one 
of the smallest of the islets (Scilly), whose sur- 
face does not exceed an acre. The number of 



Lighthouse at St. Agnes. 93 

inhabitants amounts to about two thousand, 
nearly half of which reside in Saint Mary's, 
which contains 1600 acres; it possesses three 
towns, a pier, a garrison, a custom house, and 
some monuments of British antiquity. 

At Saint Agnes is a very high and strong 
lighthouse, which was erected in the year 1680. 
Its present machinery was designed by the inge- 
nious Adam Walker, the well known lecturer on 
Natural Philosophy, although it has lately un- 
dergone some modification at the suggestion of 
Mr. Wyatt. The machinery consists of a trian- 
gular frame attached to a perpendicular axis, 
which, by means of an appropriate power, is 
made to revolve once every three minutes. On 
each face of the triangle are arranged ten para- 
bolic reflectors of copper plated with silver, each 
having an argand lamp in its focus. By this 
device the light progressively sweeps the whole 
horizon, and by its regular intermission and in- 
crease is readily distinguished from every other 
on the coast.* 

The civil government of these islands is chiefly 
managed by twelve of the principal inhabitants, 

* Vessels passing this light pay the same dues as those received 
by the Long-ships, except in the case of coasting vessels, which 
pay, not according to their tonnage, but simply a shilling per 
vessel. 



94 Of the Inhabitants of the 

who meet monthly at Heugh Town, St. Mary's, 
and settle differences by compromise. The Duke 
of Leeds holds the islands by lease for thirty-one 
years from the year 1800, at the rent of j£40, 
besides paying the fine of ^£4000, as a renewal. 

The reader is no doubt anxiously waiting to 
be introduced to the classical descendants of the 
Grecian or Phoenician race, — Whether they have 
been swallowed up with the " Lioness," or wash- 
ed into the ocean by the tempests, we know not ; 
but certain it is that the present inhabitants are 
all new comers ; — Phoenician or Grecian, there 

are none Jenkins, Ellis, Hicks, Woodcock , 

Ashford, and Gibson* are names which would 
even defy the ingenious author of the Diversions 
of Purley to trace to a classical source. 

The Scillonians are a robust and healthy peo- 
ple, and were it not for the facility with which 
they obtain spirits, they would attain a very ad- 
vanced age. It is a common saying amongst 
them, and is no doubt intended to express how 
highly favourable the spot is to longevity, al- 
though it obviously admits of another construc- 
tion, that "for one man who dies a natural death, 

* One half of the inhabitants of St. Agnes are named Hicks ; one 
quarter of those of Trescow, and a third of those at Bryher are 
called Jenkins; and a half of St. Martin's is divided between 
Ellis and Ashford. 



Stilly Islands. 95 

nine are drowned" It has been remarked that a 
deformed person is not to be found in the islands ; 
but we apprehend that this fact requires an ex- 
planation very different from that which is usu- 
ally assigned; it cannot be received as any test 
of the salubrity of the spot, or of the superior 
healthiness of the race; the fact is simply this, 
that exposure to inclement weather, want of 
proper food, and those various privations which 
necessarily increase as we recede from the luxu- 
ries of civilization, kill, during infancy, those 
feeble subjects which might, otherwise, have 
become deformed during the progress of their 
growth. It is for the same reason that we so 
frequently observe the troops of barbarous coun- 
tries composed of the most athletic individuals, for 
the hardship of their service weeds out the feeble 
and invalid. We have already alluded to the 
tenacity with which the Cornishman clings to his 
native soil, but the attachment of the Scillonian, 
if possible, is still stronger to his desolate rock. 
What a striking contrast does this form with the 
roving inhabitant of an alluvial country, where 
every object, it might be presumed, was calcu- 
lated to excite and sustain the strongest attach- 
ment ; but this principle of Nature is wise and 
universal, — the plant is easily loosened from a 



96 



Distress of the 



generous soil, but with what difficulty is the 
lichen torn from its rock. 

The islanders are chiefly employed in fishing', 
making kelp from the Algce, which is disposed of 
to the Bristol merchant for the use of the glass 
manufacturer, and in pilotage. From a combi- 
nation, however, of unfortunate circumstances, in 
addition to the fatal blow given to the smuggling 
trade, by the activity of the preventive service, 
the inhabitants were reduced to such extreme 
distress that it became necessary in the year 1819 
to appeal to the generosity of the public in their 
behalf; and, notwithstanding the great difficul- 
ties of the times, the sum of nine thousand pounds 
was collected for their relief. In this great work 
of charity it is but an act of justice to state, that 
the Society for promoting Christian knowledge, 
by their purse, as well as by their writings, per- 
formed a very essential service. The funds thus 
obtained were in part appropriated to the relief 
of the immediate and pressing distress under 
which they laboured, while the remainder was 
very judiciously applied towards the promotion of 
such permanent advantages as might prevent the 
chance of its recurrence. A Fish-cellar was 
accordingly provided in the island of Trescow, 
for the purpose of storing and curing fish ; boats 



of the Scillonians. 97 

adapted for the Mackarel and Pilchard Fisheries 
were purchased, and others were repaired ; nets 
and various kinds of tackling were also at the 
same time liberally supplied. By such means 
have the inhabitants of these cheerless rocks 
been enabled to avail themselves of some of the 
resources which Providence has placed within 
their reach, and their families have been thus 
enabled to exist without the dread of absolute 
starvation.* Much, however, still remains for 
philanthropic exertion, and should this humble 
volume fall into the hands of those, who are 
enabled by the superior gifts of fortune to 
contribute to the wants of their unhappy breth- 
ren, we may perhaps serve their cause by sta- 
ling that any donation, however small, will be 
received by Henry Boase, Esq. at the Penzance 
Bank. The greatest benefit would arise from the 
extension of their fisheries, for in consequence of 
the peculiar situation and convenience of these 
islands, the Cod and Ling fisheries might be car- 

* See " A view of the present state of the "Scilly Islands; exhi- 
biting their vast importance to the British Empire, the Improve- 
ments of which they are susceptible, and a particular account of the 
means lately adopted for ameliorating the condition of the Inhabi- 
tants, by the establishment and extension of their Fisheries. By the 
Rev. George Woodley, Missionary from the Society for promoting 
Christian Knowledge ; and Minister of St. Agnes, and St. Mar- 
tin's.*' 8vo. pp. 344. London, 1822. 



98 Stilly Islands, 

ried to almost any extent ; and, while boats in 
any part even of the Mount's Bay, would be 
weather-bound with the wind W.S.W. to S., they 
can proceed from Scilly into the channel, without 
the least difficulty. The Scillonians, however, 
have as yet been unable to avail themselves of 
the advantages of their locality; the want of pro- 
per boats prevents their proceeding in the pursuit 
of their occupation, farther than four or five 
leagues from the land. 

During the summer months various species of 
fish are caught with hook and line ; among the 
smaller kind, which are salted by the Scillonians 
for their winter consumption, are " Bass, Wrass, 
Chad, Scad, Brit, Barne, Cuddle, Whistlers, &c. 
all of which are included by the islanders undei 
the general appellation of " Rock- fish.'' 1 

There is a very curious fact noticed here with 
respect to the Woodcock. These birds generally 
arrive in Scilly before they are observed in any 
part of England ; more frequently with a north- 
east,* though sometimes with a north-west wind, 
and are often so exhausted as to be caught in 
great numbers by the inhabitants, especially near 

* The same wind is said to bring them on the Southern shores 
of Ireland. It is generally believed that they come from Norway, 
not so much to avoid the cold, as to obtain the worms which are 
locked up in the earth during the frost. 



Their Climate and Geology. 99 

the lighthouse, the splendour of whose light ap- 
pears to attract them, and striking against its 
lantern they not unfrequently fall lifeless in the 
gallery. It is for the naturalist to consider from 
whence they migrate. 

The Climate of these islands is both milder and 
more equable than that of Cornwall, but this 
advantage is counterbalanced by the frequent 
occurrence of the most sudden and violent storms. 
By those who have kept journals it has been 
found that not more than six days of perfect calm 
occur in the course of a year, and that the wind 
blows from between S.W. and N.W. for more 
than half of that period. 

With respect to Geology, these islands will 
afford but little variety; with the exception of 
some beds of Porphyry at Saint Mary's, and 
some beds of Chlorite, containing Pyrites, in the 
same island, they consist entirely of Granite, and 
are doubtless a continuation of the Devonian 
range, although the rock assumes an appearance 
less porphyritic ; it contains, however, veins of 
red Granite. At the Lizard Point in the island 
of Trescow, a variety of granite occurs, in which 
the felspar is of a remarkably pure white, and 
might, we should conceive, be advantageously 
employed in the manufacture of Porcelain. In 
g2 



100 St. Marys, Stilly. 

some chasms of this rock, and in the centre of 
large masses, the Mica is of a silvery hue, and 
occurs crystallized in its primitive form. In the 
same island is a remarkable cavern, in the centre 
of which is a pool of fresh water. The porphy- 
ritic beds in Saint Mary's are interesting on 
account of the distinct appearance of stratification 
which they display, and Mr. Majendie thinks 
that an undoubted instance of stratified granite 
is to be seen near the same spot. The Granite 
of Scilly is very liable to decomposition; whence 
has arisen all that fancied statuary of the Druids, 
of which we have spoken in another place. The 
Islands are undoubtedly undergoing a gradual 
diminution. At no great distance of time Saint 
Mary's will probably be divided by the sea, and 
a channel formed through the low land between 
the New-town and the south-east side of the gar- 
rison. This might perhaps be prevented by 
throwing down masses of granite from a neigh- 
bouring hill, so as to form a barrier against the 
sea. The object may be worthy of attention, as 
the sea in winter, with a high tide, has been 
known to pass over this land, and the effect of its 
forcing a channel there would be to divide the 
garrison from the rest of the island. If the Geolo- 
gist proceeds to a spot behind the quay, and be- 



Return to the Land's End. 101 

tween the front of the garrison-hill and that 
island, he will be gratified by the discovery of a 
process the very converse of that which we have 
been just describing. In these places the granitic 
sand is becoming indurated by the slow infiltra- 
tion of water holding iron in solution, and which 
appears to be derived from the decomposing hills 
above it. Some fine specimens of this " regene- 
rated" granite have been placed in the Geologi- 
cal Society's cabinet at Penzance. 

We now return to the Land's End, — from 
which we should proceed to visit a promontory 
called " Castle Treryn" where is situated the 
celebrated " Logan Stone" If we pursue our 
route along the cliffs, it will be found to lie. seve- 
ral miles south-east of the Land's End, although 
by taking the direct and usual road across the 
country, it is not more than two miles distant ; 
but the Geologist must walk, or ride along the 
coast on horseback, and we can assure him that 
he will be amply recompensed for his trouble. 

From the Cape on which the signal station is 
situated, the rock scenery is particularly magnifi- 
cent, exhibiting an admirable specimen of the 
manner, and forms, into which Granite disinte- 
grates. About forty yards from this Cape is the 
promontory called Tul- Pedn- Penzc ith, which in 



102 Tol-Pedn-Penwith. 

the Cornish language signifies the holed headland 
in Penwith. The name is derived from a singu- 
lar chasm, known bj the appellation of the Fun- 
nel Rock; it is a vast perpendicular excavation 
in the granite, resembling in figure an inverted 
cone, and has been evidently produced by the 
gradual decomposition of one of those vertical 
veins with which this part of the coast is so fre- 
quently intersected. By a circuitous route you 
may descend to the bottom of the cavern, into 
which the sea flows at high water. Here the 
Cornish Chough (Corvus Graculus) has built its 
nest for several years, a bird which is very com- 
mon about the rocky parts of this coast, and may 
be distinguished by its red legs and bill, and the 
violaceous blackness of its feathers. This pro- 
montory forms the Western extremity of the 
Mount's Bay. The antiquary will discover in 
this spot the vestiges of one of the ancient " Cliff 
Castles" which were little else than stone walls, 
stretching across necks of land from cliff to cliff. 
The only geological phenomenon worthy of par- 
ticular notice is a large and beautiful contempo- 
raneous vein of red Granite containing Shorl; is 
one foot in width, and may be seen for about 
forty feet in length. 

Continuing our route around the coast we at 



Logan Rocki 103 

length arrive at " Castle Treryn" Its name is 
derived from the supposition of its having been 
the site of an ancient British fortress, of which 
there are still some obscure traces, although the 
wild and rugged appearance of the rocks indicate 
nothing like art. 




The foundation of the whole is a stupendous 
group of Granite rocks, which rise in pyramidal 
clusters to a prodigious altitude, and overhang 
the sea. On one of those pyramids is situated 
the celebrated " Logan Stone," which is an 
immense block of Granite weighing above 60 
tons. The surface in contact with the under 
rock is of very small extent, and the whole mass 



104 Logan Rock. 

is so nicely balanced, that, notwithstanding its 
magnitude, the strength of a single man applied 
to its under edge is sufficient to change its centre 
of gravity, and though at first in a degree scarcely 
perceptible, yet the repetition of such impulses, 
at each return of the stone, produces at length a 
very sensible oscillation ! As soon as the astonish- 
ment which this phenomenon excites has in some 
measure subsided, the stranger anxiously en- 
quires how, and whence the stone originated — 
was it elevated by human means, or was it pro- 
duced by the agency of natural causes ? — Those 
who are in the habit of viewing mountain masses 
with geological eyes, will readily discover that 
the only chisel ever employed has been the tooth 
of time — the only artist engaged, the elements. 
Granite usually disintegrates into rhomboidal 
and tabular masses, which by the farther opera- 
tion of air and moisture gradually lose their solid 
angles, and approach the spheroidal form. De 
Luc observed, in the Giant mountains of Silesia, 
spheroids of this description so piled upon each 
other as to resemble Dutch cheeses ; and appear- 
ances, no less illustrative of the phenomenon, 
may be seen from the signal station to which we 
have just alluded. The fact of the upper part 
of the cliff being more exposed to atmospheric 



Logan Rock. 105 

agency, than the parts beneath, will sufficiently 
explain why these rounded masses so frequently 
rest on blocks which still preserve the tabular 
form ; and since such spheroidal blocks must ob- 
viously rest in that position in which their lesser 
axes are perpendicular to the horizon, it is equally 
evident that whenever an adequate force is ap- 
plied they must vibrate on their point of support. 
Although we are thus led to deny the Druidical 
origin of this stone, for which so maay zealous 
antiquaries have contended, still we by no means 
intend to deny that the Druids employed it as an 
engine of superstition ; it is indeed very probable 
that, having observed so uncommon a property, 
they dexterously contrived to make it answer the 
purposes of an ordeal, and by regarding it as 
the touchstone of truth, acquitted or condemned 
the accused by its motions. Mason poetically 
alludes to this supposed property in the following 
lines. 

" Behold yon huge 
And unknown sphere of living adamant, 
W T hich, pois'd by magic, rests its central weight 
On yonder pointed rock : firm as it seems, 
Such is its strange, and virtuous property, 
It moves obsequious to the gentlest touch 
Of him, whose heart is pure, but to a traitor, 
Tho' e'en a giant's prowess nerv'd his arm, 
. It stands as fix'd as Snowdon." 

The rocks are covered with a species of Bj/ssus 



106 Logan Rock. 

long and rough to the touch, forming a kind of 
hoary beard ; in many places they are deeply 
furrowed, carrying with them a singular air of 
antiquity, which combines with the whole of the 
romantic scenery to awaken in the minds of 
the poet and enthusiast the recollection of the 
Druidical ages. The Botanist will observe the 
common Thrift (Statice Armeria) imparting a 
glowing tinge to the scanty vegetation of the spot, 
and, by growing within the crevices of the rocks, 
affording a very picturesque contrast to their 
massive fabric. Here too the Daucus Maritimus, 
or wild carrot; Sedum Telephium, Saxifraga 
Stellaris, and Asplenium Marinum, may be found 
in abundance. 

The Granite in this spot is extremely beauti- 
ful, on account of its porphyritic appearance ; 
the crystals of felspar are numerous and distinct; 
in some places the rock is traversed by veins of 
red felspar, and of black tourmaline, or schorl, 
of which the crystalline forms of the prisms, on 
account of their close aggregation, are very in- 
distinct. Here may also be observed a contem- 
poraneous vein of schorl rock in the granite, 
nearly two feet wide, highly inclined and very 
short, and not having any distinct walls. On 
the western side of the Logan rock is a cavern, 



Treryn Cove, 107 

formed by the decomposition of a vein of granite, 
the felspar of which assumes a brilliant flesh-red, 
and lilac colour; and, where it is polished by 
the sea, exceeding- even in beauty the Serpentine 
caverns at the Lizard. 

Mr. Majendie observed in this spot numerous 
veins of fine grained granite, which he is inclined 
to consider as cotemporaneous ; he also observed 
what, at first sight, appeared to be fragments, 
but which, upon closer examination, he pronoun- 
ces to be cotemporaneous concretions ; for large 
crystals of felspar may be seen shooting from the 
porphyritic granite into these apparent fragments. 
These phenomena are extremely interesting in a 
geological point of view, and well deserve the 
attention of the scientific tourist. 

In Treryn cove, just below the site of the 
castle, Dr. Maton found several of the rarer 
species of shells, as Patella Pellucida, P. Fissura, 
Mytilus Modiolus, Trochus Conulus, Turbo Cimex, 
and T. Fascitatus (of Pennant,) 

Before we quit this coast we beg to state, for 
the information of the geological tourist, that the 
Granite which we have just traced from beyond 
the Land's End to this spot, continues until with- 
in half a mile of the signal post near Lemorna 
cove, where it meets with a patch of slate, and is 



108 Saint Bury an. 

lost for about the space of three quarters of a 
mile. At the western extremity of this junction 
(Cam Silver) the mineralogist will find em- 
bedded Garnet-rock with veins of Epidote and 
Axinite. Here may also be seen the rare occur- 
rence of a granite vein penetrating both the slate 
and the granitic rock. 

But let us return. About two miles north- 
east of the Logan rock, and in the high road to 
Penzance, stands the town of Saint Bury an, 
which though now only a group of wretched cot- 
tages was once a place of very considerable note, 
and the seat of a College of Augustine Canons ; 
the latter was founded by Athelstan after his 
return from the conquest of the Scilly Islands, 
A.D. 930. The remains of the College were wan- 
tonly demolished by one Shrubshall, Governor 
of Pendennis Castle, during the usurpation of 
Cromwell. 

The Church tower stands on the highest point 
in this part of the country, being 467 feet above 
the level of the sea ; it consequently forms a very 
conspicuous object, and is so exposed to the rains 
from the Atlantic, that the stones carry a decep- 
tive face of freshness with them which lends an 
aspect of newness to the whole building. From 
the top of the tower the prospect is of a very 



It y s ancierit Church. 109 

extensive kind, commanding the whole range of 
the surrounding country, and an immense surface 
of sea. In clear weather the Scilly Islands may 
be easily distinguished in the horizon, especially 
with a setting sun, when they appear to project 
from the brilliant ground of the western sky like 
figures embossed on burnished gold. 

Both from the history and appearance of this 
edifice the antiquary will enter it with sensations 
of awe and veneration, but he will find with 
regret that the ancient Roodloft has been lately 
removed, from an idea that it deadened the voice 
of the preacher, and that the parishioners have 
also converted the original forms into modern 
pews, a change which has cruelly violated the 
venerable uniformity of the interior. There is a 
singular monument in the church, in the shape of 
a coffin, having an inscription around the border 
in very rude characters, and now partly oblitera- 
ted ; it is in Norman French, and has been thus 
translated. 

CLARICE 

The wife of GefFrei de Bollait lies here 
God of her soul have mercy 
They who pray for her soul shall have 
Ten days Pardon. 



110 



Ancient Crosses. 



On the middle of the stone is represented a 
Cross fleury, standing on four steps ; the monu- 
ment is said to have been found many years ago 
by the sexton, while sinking a grave. 

Opposite the great door in the church-yard 
stands a very ancient Cross, on one side of which 
are five balls, and, on the other, a rude figure 
intended to represent the crucified Saviour. We 
here present our readers with a sketch of this 
singular monument. 




Buryan Ckureh-yard* 

Another Cross stands in the road, and faces the 
entrance into the church-yard, of which also we 
have introduced a delineation. 




Buryan, 



Deanery of St. Bury an. ] 1 1 

The Deanery is in the gift of the Crown, as a 
royal peculiar, and is tenable with any other 
preferment. The Dean exercises an independent 
jurisdiction in all ecclesiastical matters within 
the parish of St. Burian, and its dependent pa- 
rishes of St. Levan, and Sennan. He is the 
Rector, and is entitled to all tithes. A Visitation 
court is held in his name, and the appeal from it 
is only to the King in council. Athelstan is said 
to have granted to this church the privilege of a 
Sanctuary, and a ruin overgrown with ivy; stand- 
ing on an estate called Bosliven, about a mile 
east from the church, is thought to be its remains, 
but Mr. Lysons justly observes that the Sanctuary 
usually comprised the church itself, and perhaps 
a certain privileged space beyond it, and that the 
ruins to which the tradition attaches, are proba- 
bly those only of an ancient chapel. 

From St. Buryan the traveller may at once 
return to Penzance, which is about six miles dis- 
tant, but as no object of particular interest will 
occur in the direct road, it is unnecessary for us 
to attend him thither. Should he, however, be 
inclined to extend his excursion, he will receive 
much gratification in returning by a somewhat 
circuitous route along the southern coast, through 
the parish of Saint Paul. In this case, we may 



112 Boskenna. Merry Maidens. 

first proceed to Boskenna, the seat of John 
Paynter Esq. a highly romantic spot, abounding 
with woodcocks, and which under the direction 
of a skilful landscape gardener might be made to 
emulate in beauty any of the charming villas that 
adorn the under-cliff of the Isle of Wight. On 
this estate there is a superficial quarry of decom- 
posing granite, which the mineralogist ought to 
visit, for the purpose of obtaining some remark- 
ably fine specimens of felspar in separate crys- 
tals, which may be easily removed from the mass 
in which they lie imbedded. 

At Bolleit, in a croft near Boskenna, and ad- 
joining the high road, is to be seen a circle of 
stones very similar to that we have already de- 
scribed (p. 81,) except that it has not a central 
pillar; the appellation given to these stones is 
that of the u Merry Maidens" on account of a 
whimsical tradition, that they were once young 
women transformed like Niobe into stones, as 
a punishment for the crime of dancing on the 
Sabbath day. In a field on the opposite side of 
the road there are two upright stones standing 
about a furlong asunder, the one being nearly 
twelve, the other sixteen feet in height. They 
are probably sepulchral monuments ; the same 
ridiculous tradition, however, attaches to them 



The Pipers. — Lemorna Cove. 1 13 

as to the circle, and has accordingly bestowed 
upon them the appellation of the " Pipers.*'' 

At Carn Boscawen, on this coast, is to be 
seen a very extraordinary group of rocks, con- 
sisting of a large flat stone, the ends of which 
are so poised upon the neighbouring rocks, as to 
leave an opening underneath ; Dr. Borlase, with 
his accustomed zeal, insists upon its Druidical 
origin, and ever ready to supply the deficiency 
of both history and tradition by the sallies of an 
active imagination, very confidently informs us, 
that " this said opening beneath the pensile stone 
was designed for the seat of some considerable 
person, from which he might give out his edicts, 
and decisions, his predictions, and admissions to 
Noviciates" ! — Risum teneatis geologici? 

In our road to Saint Paul, we pass Trouve, or 
Trewoof, an estate situated on the side of a 
woody hill, overlooking a romantic valley, which 
is terminated by Lemorna Cove, a spo,t which 
should be visited by every stranger who delights 
in the " lone majesty of untamed Nature." 
Within the estate of Trouve are* the remains of a 
triple entrenchment, in which runs a subterranean 
passage; and, it is said, that during the civil 
wars a party of Royalists were here concealed 
from the observation of the forces of Sir Thomas 
ii 



Hi Paul Church. 

Fairfax. There is a fine chalybeate spring on 
this estate. 

At Kerris, in the parish of Paul, about five 
miles from Penzance, is an oval enclosure called 
M Roundago" which is stated to have been con- 
nected with Druidical rites ; time and the Goths, 
however, have nearly destroyed its last remains, 
so that the antiquary will require the eyes of a 
Borlase to recognise its existence by any descrip- 
tion hitherto given of it. 

Paul Church is a very conspicuous object 
from its high elevation,* and interests the his- 
torian from the tradition, already stated, of its 
having been burnt by the Spaniards, upon which 
occasion the south porch alone is said, in con- 
sequence of the direction of the wind, to have 
escaped the conflagration. A pleasing confirma- 
tion of this tradition was lately afforded during 
some repairs, when one of the wooden supporters 
was fou^d charred at the end nearest the body of 
the church. It also deserves notice that the thick 
stone division at the back of the Trewaroeneth 
pew> which has so frequently occasioned enquiry, 
is a part of the old church, which escaped the 

* It may be observed in the engraving of Saint Michael's Mount, 
on the elevated line of coast which forms the back ground to the 
picture. 



Old Dolly Pentreath. 115 

fire. In the church is the following curious no- 
tice of its having been burnt, " The Sponger 
burnt this church in the year 1595." 

Most tourists inform us that in this church- 
yard is to be seen the monumental stone, with 
the epitaph of Old Dolly Pentreath, so celebrated 
among antiquaries, as having been the last per- 
son who spoke the Cornish language. Such a 
monument^ however, if it ever existed, is no 
longer to be found, nor can any information be 
obtained with regard to its probable locality. 
Her Epitaph is said to have been both in the 
Cornish and English language, viz. 

" Coth Dol Pentreath canz ha deaw 
Marir en Bedans en Powl pleu 
Na en an Eglar ganua Poble braz 
Bet en Eglar Hay Coth Dolly es ! " 

" Old Dol Pentreath, one hundred age and two 
Both born, and in Paul Parish buried too ; 
Not in the Church 'mongst people great and high 
But in the Church-yard doth old Dolly lie ! " 

In the parishes of Paul and Buryan are sevesal 
Tin streams ; in some of which the Wood Tin, or 
wood-like oxide of Tin, is occasionally found in 
large, and well defined pieces. It has been also, 
although rarely, found in its matrix. 

From Paul Church we may proceed to Pen- 
h 2 



116 



Fishing Villages of 



zance, either by the high road over Paul Hill, 
which becomes extremely interesting from the 
picturesque beauty and superior cultivation of 
the country; or we may descend towards the sea 
shore, and return through the villages of Mouse- 
hole and Newlyriy which may be called colonies 
of Fishermen, for here the Pilchard* and Mack- 
arel fisheries are carried on to a very great ex- 
tent; and every kind of fish which frequent this 
coast are caught and sent to Penzance, and other 
Cornish towns; and, in the early part of the 
season, they supply the London market with 
Mackarel, which are conveyed thither by way of 
Portsmouth. The Lobster fishery also proves 
an ample source of revenue to the Mount's Bay 
fishermen, from which alone they divide not less 
than Two Thousand Pounds, annually. 

The ride or walk along the coast from Mouse- 
hole to Newlyn is highly interesting. The 
former town which is situated about two miles 
south-west of Penzance ; and half a mile from 
Paul Church-town, contains about six hundred 
inhabitants. There is a small Pier capable of 
admitting vessels of one hundred tons burthen ; 
but it is chiefly used as a harbour for the nume- 
rous fishing boats. 

* A History of the Pilchard Fishery will be presented to our 
readers in the Excursion to Saint Ives. 



Mousehole and Newly n. 117 

Newlyn, with respect to population, exceeds 
by one-third that of Mousehole. It has a com- 
modious pier, which is also usually occupied by 
the fishing boats of the place, which exceed four 
hundred in number. In the cliff-road between 
these villages, we pass a platform, which during 
the late war was a battery, forming a security to 
the bay from any privateers that might visit it. 
Adjoining this battery stands a furnace for the 
purpose of heating the shot. It was under the 
direction of a small party of the Royal Artil- 
lery. 

The Geologist in performing this part of the 
excursion will have much to observe. About 
one hundred yards west of Mousehole, the clay- 
slate ceases, and the granite commences. At 
this junction numerous granite veins, varying in 
width from about a foot to less than an inch, pass 
through the slate.* A little farther west, a cavern 
may be observed in the cliff, which has evidently 
been produced by the decomposition of the walls 
of an old Adit. In this cavern the Mineralogist 
has found good specimens of Eisenkeisel, or Iron 

flint : but we will conclude, for our tourist 

must be wearied by the length of the excursion ; 

* See Mr. Majendie's interesting account of this phenomenon in 
the first volume of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. 



118 Conclusion of the Excursion. 

tomorrow we shall be again prepared to accom- 
pany him in a different direction, and to point 
out a succession of fresh objects, when antiqui- 
ties, minerals, and picturesque views will, in 
their turn, again present themselves for his ex- 
amination. 







Between Penzance, and Buryan. 



Nanccalverne — Poltair — Treriewaiulon. 1 1 9 



EXCURSION III. 

TO BOTALLACK MINE; CAPE CORNWALL; AND THE: 
MINING DISTRICT OF SAINT JUST. 



To exhibit the greatest variety of interesting 
objects, in the least possible space and time, may 
be said to constitute the essential excellence of a 
" Guide. 11 For the accomplishment of such a 
purpose we now proceed to conduct the stranger 
to Botallack Mine and Cape Cornwall, through 
the Parishes of Madron, Morvah, and Saint Just. 

In our road to the village of Madron, or 
Madron Church-town, as it is commonly called, 
we pass Nanceaherne, the estate of John Scobell 
Esq., Poltair, the residence of Edward Scobell 
Esq., and Trengwainton the seat of Sir Rose 
Price, Bart. At this latter place considerable 
exertions have been made to raise plantations, 
and to clothe the granitic hills behind it with 
wood; and from the progress already made, we 
feel sanguine in the ultimate success of the enter- 



120 Pictures by Opie. 

prize. Amongst the pictures in the possession of 
the worthy Baronet are several of the earlier 
productions of Opie. The head of an aged beg- 
gar, by that artist, has frequently excited our 
admiration, and presents a characteristic specimen 
of the native simplicity and expression of his 
style, and the magic force of his chiaro-scuro. 
This head was painted also under circumstances, 
a knowledge of which cannot fail to heighten its 
interest. The father of Sir Rose having been 
struck by the venerable aspect of an aged mendi- 
cant as he was begging in the streets of Penzance, 
immediately sent for Opie, then residing in the 
town, and expressed a desire that the young 
artist should paint his portrait. The beggar was 
accordingly regaled with a bounteous meal upon 
the occasion, and Opie appears to have caught 
his expression at the happy moment, when like 
the " Last Minstrel" of our northern bard, 

" Kindness had his wants supplied 

And the old man was gratified." 

The Village of Madron is about two miles to 
the north-west of Penzance. The church is 
placed on an elevated situation, and commands 
a very striking view of Saint Michael's Mount, 
and its bay. Penzance is a Chapelry of this 
parish. 



Madron Well. 121 

Madron Well is situated in a moor about a 
mile and a half from the Church-town. It is 
enclosed within walls, which were partially de- 
stroyed in the time of Cromwell, by Major Ceeley 
of St. Ives, but the remains of them are still suf- 
ficiently entire to exhibit the form of an ancient 
Baptistry. * The inner wall with its window 
and door-way, and the altar with a square hole 
or socket in the centre, which received the foot of 
the cross or image of the patron saint, are still 
perfect. The foundation of the outer wall, or 
anti-room, may be traced with great ease. 

Superstition has, of course, attributed many 
virtues to waters which had been thus hallowed, 
and this Well', like that of Chapel Euny, has been 
long celebrated for its medicinal efficacy in restor- 
ing motion and activity to cripples. + Baptism 
was administered only at the stated times of Easter 
and Whitsuntide ; but, at all seasons, the virtues 
of the waters attracted the lame and the impo- 
tent; and the altar was at hand to assist the 
devotion of their prayers, as well as to receive 
the offerings of their gratitude. 

* Baptistries were continued out of the church until the sixth 
century. 

+ The learned Bishop Hall in his work entitled " The Mystery of 
Godliness" bears ample testimony to the medicinal efficacy of this 
water in restoring motion and activity to cripples. 



122 Lanyon Cromlech, 

Chemical analysis has been unable to detect in 
this water the presence of any active ingredient 
that might explain the beneficial operation attri- 
buted to it. 

In the road to Morvah we meet with the cele- 
brated Cromlech* at Lanyon. It is placed on a 
prominent hill, and from its lonely situation, and 
the wildness of the country by which it is sur- 
rounded, it cannot fail to inspire sensations of 
reverential awe in every one who approaches 
it. t This rude monument has been Ions: known 
amongst the country people by the appellation 
of the "Giant's Quoit" When the last edition 
of this " Guide" went to the press it was still 
standing in its original position, and was thus 
described. It consists of three unshapen pillars 

* Cromlech in the Cornish language signified a crooked stone. 

t This ancient monument is faithfully depicted in the frontis- 
piece of the present work ; but we are in candour bound to acknow- 
ledge that, in the introduction of Saint Michael's Mount, the 
artist has availed himself of the '• quidlibet audendi" so universally 
conceded to Painters and Poets ; in reality, an intervening emi- 
nence obstructs the view of the Mount from this spot, and he has 
therefore, upon the present occasion, just taken the liberty to 
remove this barrier to our vision. If the Geological tourist con- 
demn this harmless deviation from truth, we shall recriminate by 
reminding him that even Geologists have sometimes appropriated 
to themselves an indulgence which Horace extended only to the 
votaries of the Muses, and have not hesitated to overlook the ex- 
istence of a mountain where it stood in the way of a favourite 
theory. 



Conjectures respecting its origin. 123 

inclining from the perpendicular, which support 
a large table stone (resembling a Discus or Quoit) 
in a horizontal position, the direction of which 
is nearly north and south. The flat stone is 47 
feet in girth, and 12 in length, and its height 
from the ground is sufficient to enable a man on 
horseback to pass under it — The aged monu- 
ment, however, has at length bent beneath the 
hand of time, and fallen on its side. Its down- 
fall, which happened during a violent tempest, 
occasioned a universal feeling of regret in the 
country. 

In the same tenement, about a quarter of a 
mile west of Lanyon house, is another monument 
of this kind, nearly as large as the former; and 
it is singular that this should have been the only 
Cromlech in Corwall which escaped the notice 
of Dr. Borlase. It has fallen on its edge, but 
is still entire. 

All our notions respecting the origin and use 
of these monuments are purely conjectural ; it 
seems, however, very probable that they are the 
most ancient in the world, erected possibly by 
one of the first colonists which came into the 
island. As Cromlechs are known to abound in 
every country where the Celts established them- 
selves, many antiquaries have concluded that 



124 



Men-an-ToL 



they are of Celtic origin. The same doubt and 
uncertainty involve every consideration with re- 
spect to their use; it has been a general idea 
that they were intended for altars, but the upper 
stone is evidently too gibbous ever to have ad- 
mitted the officiating priest, or to have allowed 
him to stand to overlook the fire, and the con- 
sumption of the victim; besides, what occasion 
is there to suppose a Cromlech any thing more 
than a sepulchral monument ? Is it not the most 
natural and probable conclusion ? Indeed Mr, 
Wright actually found a skeleton deposited un- 
der one of them in Ireland, and it must strike 
the most superficial observer that our modern 
tombs are not very dissimilar to the former in 
their construction, and probably derived their 
form from a very ancient model. 

Men-an-Tol. The next object of curiosity 
consists of three stones on a triangular plane, 
the middle one of which is perforated with a large 
hole, and is called Men-an-Tol, i.e. the holed 
stone. Dr. Borlase who, as we have often ob- 
served, has recourse to the chisel of Druidism to 
account for every cavity or crevice, conjectures 
that it was appropriated to the rites of that 
priesthood, and asserts, on the authority of a 
farmer, that even in his time, it was deemed to 



\ 



Men Skrt/fa. Its origin. 125 

possess the power of healing those who would 
crawl through it. 

In a croft, about half a mile to the north-west 
of Lanyon, lies a very ancient sepulchral stone, 
called by the Cornish " Men Skryfa" i. e. the 
Inscribed Stone. It is nine feet ten inches long, 
and one foot eight inches broad ; the inscription 
upon it is " Riolobran Cunoval Fil" which sig- 
nifies Riolobran the Son of Cunoval lies buried 
here.* With respect to the date of this monument, 
all antiquaries agree in thinking that it must have 
been engraven before the corruptions crept into 
the Roman alphabet, such for instance as the 
junction of the letters by unnatural links, or 
when the down strokes of one were made to serve 
for two, &c. This practice arose soon after the 
Romans went off, and increased until the Saxon 
letters were introduced at Athelstan's conquest. 
The most striking deviation from the Roman 
orthography to be observed in this monument is 
in the cross stroke of the Roman N not being 
diagonal as it ought to be, nor yet quite horizon- 
tal as we find it in the sixth century ; and hence 

* Before the beginning of the seventh century we are informed 
by Strutt that it was held unlawful to bury the dead in the cities, 
and that there were no church-yards. Anglo-Saxon JEra> vol. 1. 
p. 69. 



126 Chun Castle. 

it is fair to assign to it a date antecedent to that 
period.* 

Chun Castle, a prominent object in this 
neighbourhood, is similar to Caerbran Hound, 
which has been described, except that the ruins 
are more extensive, and less confused. The re- 
mains occupy the whole area of a hill command- 
ing a wide tract of country to the east, some low 
grounds to the north and south, and the wide 
expanded ocean to the west. Another Cromlech 
may also be seen from this spot, and stands upon 
the very line which divides the parishes of Mor- 
vah and Saint Just; but it is far inferior to that 
at Lanyon. We will now for awhile abandon 
the contemplation of these faded monuments of 
past ages, and proceed to the examination of a 
rich and interesting field of mineralogical and 
geological research. In introducing the stranger, 
however, to the district of Saint Just, we must 
repeat to him the caution with which Mr. Carnet 

* There are several monumental inscriptions of the same kind 
to be seen in Cornwall, but none so ancient as Men Skryfa. In 
Barlowena bottom, for instance, as you pass from the church of 
Gulval to that of Madron, there is one which is now converted into 
a foot-bridge across a brook; if the antiquary examine the letters 
upon this stone, which he cannot conveniently do without getting 
v ^der it, he will discover the corruptions alluded to in the text, 
viz. the I in Filius linked to the L. 

+ To the elaborate memoir, by Mr. Carne, published in the 
second volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society 



.District of St. Just. 127 

has very prudently accompanied his history of its 
mineral productions. " If the stranger on his 
arrival shall expect to find any of the minerals so 
prominently situated as to salute his eyes at 
once; or if he shall suppose that those objects 
which are especially worthy of notice in a geolo- 
gical point of view, are to be discovered and 
examined in the space of a few hours, he will be 
greatly mistaken and disppointed ; for very few, 
either of the minerals or the veins are to be found 
in situ, except by a diligent, patient, and per- 
severing search." 

Without further delay we shall now attend the 
traveller to Pendeen Cove ; in our road to which, 
the only objects worthy attention are the Stamp- 
ing Mills, and Burning Houses or Roasting Fur- 
naces, belonging to Botallack Mine. They are 
situated on the bank of the river which runs into 
the sea at Pendeen Cove. The Tin ore of Botal- 
lack is generally mixed with a portion of Sulphu- 
ret of Copper, which not being separable from it 
by the mechanical process of dressing, is sub- 
mitted to the action of a roasting furnace, by 
which the Copper being converted into an oxide, 



of Cornwall, and entitled " On the Mineral Productions, and the 
Geology of the Parish of Saint Just," we would especially direct 
the attention of the scientific traveller. 



J 28 Pendeen Cave, or Vau. 

and the Sulphur into Sulphuric acid, a Sulphate 
of Copper is thus produced, which is easily sepa- 
rated by washing. The solution obtained is then 
poured into casks, containing pieces of iron, by 
the agency of which the Copper is precipitated.* 

There is to be seen at Pendeen, a cave, known 
by the name of Pendeen Vau, and concerning 
which there are many ridiculous stories. It ap- 
pears to have been one of those hiding- places in 
which the Britons secreted themselves, and their 
property, from the attacks of the Saxons and 
Danes. The cave is still almost entire, a circum- 
stance which is principally owing to the super- 
stitious fears of the inhabitants, many of whom, 
at this very day, entertain a dread of entering it. 

At Pendeen Cove, the Geologist will meet with 
several phenomena well worthy his attention. 
At the junction of the Slate and Granite, veins 
of the latter will be observed traversing the for- 
mer rock, and what is particularly worthy of 
notice, they may he seen emanating from a great 
mass of granite and passing into the schistose rock 
by which it is covered. One part of the cliff of 

* The quantity of Copper procured in this way at Botallack, 
says Mr. Came, is about a ton in a year. This chemical process is 
now practised in most of the mines in which the " Tin-stone" is 
mixed with Copper ore, as in Dolcoath, Cook's Kitchen, Chace- 
water, and in some parts of St. Agnes. 



Geology of the Gurnard's Head. 129 

this cove consists of large fragments of granite 
imbedded in clay and earth ; the interstices of 
which are filled with white sand, which has been 
probably blown there from the beach ; through 
this sand, water impregnated with iron is slowly 
percolating, the effect of which is the induration 
of the sand, and the formation of a. breccia, which 
in some parts has acquired very considerable 
hardness. 

Before proceeding to the metalliferous district 
of Saint Just, we may observe that, if the tra- 
veller's object be to reach Saint Ives by the road 
along the cliffs, through the parish of Zennor, he 
will meet with a most cheerless country, but by 
no means destitute of geological interest. He 
ought particularly to examine a bold rocky pro- 
montory, called the " Gurnard's Head" where 
he will find a succession of beds of slaty felspar, 
hornblende rock, and greenstone. The geology 
of this headland has been accurately described 
by Dr. Forbes in the second volume of the Trans- 
actions of the Royal Geological Society of Corn- 
wall, Polmear Cove ought also to be visited on 
account of the Granite veins, which are perhaps 
as singular and interesting as any of those already 
described.— But let us proceed to complete our 
examination of the coast of Saint Just. Many of 
i 



130 



Sub-jnarinc Mines. 



the mines are situated on the very edge of the 
cliff, and are wrought to a considerable distance 
under the sea; but all communication to them 
is from land.* For a description of the nume- 
rous minerals found in this district, + we must 
refer the reader to the highly valuable paper by 
Joseph Came, Esq. which is published in the 
second volume of the Transactions of the Royal 
Geological Society of Cornwall. We cannot, how- 
ever, allow the mineralogist to pass Trewellard, 
without reminding him that, at this spot, Axinite 
was first discovered in Cornwall, and that the 
most beautifully crystallized specimens of that 
mineral, scarcely inferior to those brought from 
Dauphine, may still be procured here. In the 
cliff at Huel Cock Cam, a vein of this mineral, 
of a violet colour, three feet in width, may be 
traced for upwards of twenty yards ; and in its 
vicinity there is to be found also a vein of garnet 
rock. Apatite, of a greyish-white colour, asso- 
ciated with Hornblende, may be seen in the same 
spot. In the slate rocks between Huel Cock and 



* The principal sub-marine mines on this part of the coast are 
Levant ; Tolvaen ; Huel Cock ; and Huel Castle ; Copper Mines ; 
and Praze; Little Bounds ; Riblose ; Huel St. Just; Tin Mines ; 
and Botallack Tin and Copper Mine. 

+ A miner of the name of James Wall, who resides in the village 
of Carnyorth, has generally a variety of these minerals for sale. 



Minerals recently discovered. 131 

Botallack, Prehnite has lately been found, for 
the first time; it appears to form a small vein, 
which in one part is divided into two branches. 
Upon the discovery of the above mineral, says 
Mr. Joseph Carne, an expectation was naturally 
formed, that Zeolite, its frequent associate, and 
an equal stranger to Cornwall, might shortly 
make its appearance. This opinion has been 
lately verified by the discovery of, at least, two 
varieties of that mineral, imbedded in the Prehnite 
vein, viz. Stilbite, or foliated Zeolite, crystallized 
in flat four-sided prisms, with quadrangular sum- 
mits; and the radiated Mesotype, which some- 
times contains nodules of Prehnite. Other spe- 
cimens have been found in rather an earthy state, 
and may possibly be the mealy Zeolite of Jameson. 
In the same slate rocks Apatite occurs of a yel- 
lowish-green colour, and crystallized in hexaedral 
prisms. In the granite rocks on the high hills 
south-east of Trewellard, Pinite is to be observed. 
We arrive at the u Crown Engine''' of Bo- 
tallack — 

" How fearful 
And dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low, 
The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air 

Show scarce so gross as beetles : 

— — — — — — — — — I'll look no more, 

Lest my brain turn, and the deficient sight 
Topple down headlong.'' 

i2 



132 Extraordinary Scenery 

This is undoubtedly one of the most extraordi- 
nary (and surprising places in the mining districts 
of Cornwall, whether considered for the rare and 
rich assemblage of its minerals, or for the wild 
and stupendous character of its rock scenery. 
Surely, if ever a spot seemed to bid defiance to 
the successful efforts of the miner, it was the site 
of the Crown Engine* at Botallack, where at the 
very commencement of his subterranean labours, 
he was required to lower a steam engine down a 
precipice of more than two hundred feet, with 
the view of extending his operations under the 
bed of the Atlantic ocean ! ! ! There is something 
in the very idea which alarms the imagination ; 
and the situation and appearance of the gigantic 
machine, together with the harsh jarring of its 
bolts, re-echoed from the surrounding rocks, are 
well calculated to excite our astonishment. 

But if you are thus struck and surprised at the 
scene when viewed from the cliff above, how 
much greater will be your wonder if you descend 

* " Crown Engine" so named from its vicinity to three rocks 
called the " Three Crowns." 

It was our intention to have presented the reader with an en- 
graving of this extraordinary scene, and indeed measures had been 
taken for its accomplishment, when we were induced to abandon 
the design on learning that a lithographic print had been pub- 
lished by a meritorious and self-taught artist at Penzance, the sale 
©f which we were anxious not to diminish. 



of Botallack Mine. 133 

to the surface of the mine. You will then behold 
a combination of the powers of art with the wild 
sublimity of Nature which is quite unparalleled; 
the effects of the whole being not a little height- 
ened by the hollow roar of the raging billows 
which are perpetually lashing the cliff beneath. 
In looking up you will observe troops of mules 
laden with sacks of coals, for the supply of the 
engine, with their undaunted riders, fearlessly 
trotting down the winding path which you trem- 
bled at descending even on foot. As you ap- 
proach the engine, the cliff becomes almost per- 
pendicular, and the ore raised from the mine is 
therefore drawn up over an inclined plane,* by 
means of a horse engine placed on the extreme 
verge of the overhanging rocks above, and which 
seems to the spectator below as if suspended in 
" mid air" 

The workings of this mine extend at least 
seventy fathoms in length under the bed of the 
sea; and in these caverns of darkness are many 
human beings, for a small pittance, and even that 
of a precarious amount, constantly digging for 
ore, regardless of the horrors which surround 
them, and of the roar of the Atlantic ocean, whose 
boisterous waves are incessantly rolling over their 

* This apparatus is termed " The Shammcl Whim.'''' 



134k Crown Engine. 

beads. We should feel pity for the wretch who, 
as an atonement for his crimes, should be com- 
pelled to undergo the task which the Cornish 
miner voluntarily undertakes, and as cheerfully 
performs ; yet such is the force of habit, that very 
rarely does any other employment tempt him to 
forsake his own ; the perils of his occupation are 
scarcely noticed, or if noticed, are soon forgotten. 
The Lode* of the mine may be seen cropping 
out, in the group of rocks beneath the engine. 
The ore is the grey and yellow sulphuret of cop- 
per, mixed with the oxide of tin,t of which she% 
has already " turned up" a sufficient quantity to 
afford a very handsome premium to the adven- 
turers. In the grey sulphuret of this mine, pur- 
ple copper ore, of the kind called by the Germans 
" Buntkupfererz" is frequently met with. Be- 
sides which, a great number of interesting mine- 
rals may be collected, as several varieties of 
Jasper ; arborescent native Copper ; Jaspery iron 
ore; Arseniate of Iron, which until it was dis- 
covered in the Crown lode of Botallack, was un- 

* A metalliferous vein is provincially called a Lode. 

+ The tin and copper are in a state of mechanical mixture, 
although Dr. Boase has lately found amongst the heaps, a speci- 
men of " Tin Pyrites" in which these metals are chemically 
combined. 

X The miners always distinguish their mines by a feminine 
appellation. 



Minerals found there. 135 

known in St. Just. It is of a brown colour, and is 
crystallized in cubes. Sulphuret of Bismuth, im- 
bedded in Jasper ; beautiful specular iron ore ; 
hcematitic Iron ; and the hydrous oxide of iron, in 
prisms terminated by pyramids, and which was 
supposed by the Count de Bournon to contain 
Titanium. The picturesque rocks of this district 
may be considered as composed of Hornblende 
rock, which will be found to alternate with slate. 
The contorted appearance of the former in the 
vicinity of Botallack is very singular, and will 
admit of much speculation. The Crown rocks, 
to which the mineralogist must not neglect to 
descend, consist of extremely compact Hornblende 
rock, in which occur numerous veins and beds of 
different minerals; viz. veins of Garnet rock, with 
numerous imbedded crystals, being at one part 
almost a foot in width; Magnetic Iron Pyrites, 
massive, in beds, near the engine ; its colour is 
bluish-grey, and it is called by the workmen 
Spelter, who mistake it probably for Blende, 
which latter mineral also occurs here in conside- 
rable quantities. In a part of the rock, which is 
almost inaccessible, there is a vein of Epidote, 
distinctly crystallized, and about six inches wide. 
The miners, however descend the fearful precipice 
without any difficultv, in order to collect speci- 



136 Cape Cornwall. 

mens for the inquisitive visitant. Axinite also 
occurs in veins, or perhaps in beds ; Tfiallite, Chlo- 
rite, Tremolite, and a black crystallized Schorl, in 
which the late Rev. William Gregor detected six 
per cent, of Titanium, are to be found also in this 
interesting spot. 

Cape Cornwall is the next object of interest 
after Botallack. This point of land stretches out 
to the west, at an elevation of two hundred and 
thirty feet, and forms the northern boundary of 
TVhitsand Bay (p. 88). It is entirely composed 
of a slaty rock, traversed by numerous veins of 
Actinolite. To the geologist this spot will be 
interesting, since on the shore beneath, a junction 
may be observed between the Granite of the 
Land's End, and the slate of this promontory.* 
These formations are separated by a large vein 
of metalliferous quartz, which forms the lode of 
the mine in the neighbourhood, called " Little 
Bounds," and whose engine suspended in the 
cliff above, constitutes a very striking feature in 
the scenery. This vein, besides Oxide of Tin, 
for which it is worked, contains Native Copper, 
different Oxides of Iron, Red Jasper, Quartz of a 
bright brownish red colour, and Scaly red Iron 

* See a paper by Dr. John Davy, in the first volume of the 
Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, entitled 
« On the Granite Veins of Porih Just." 



Little Bounds Mine. 137 

ore, sometimes investing Quartz, and occasionally 
in small masses consisting of red cohering scales, 
which are unctuous to the touch. 

Mr. Came states, that in this mine three dis- 
tinct lodes, distant from each other, have been 
worked under the sea; two of them being in 
granite, the third in slate. Here also, at two 
parts of the lode, known by the name of " Save- 
airs lode" probably, as the name would seem to 
imply, in consequence of the avarice of the miner, 
a communication has been made between the sea 
and the mine ; one of them is at about high water 
mark at spring tides ; the other is covered by the 
sea at every tide, except at very low neaps ; great 
and constant attention is therefore necessary for 
the security of this latter breach. At first the 
opening was stopped by a piece of wood covered 
with turf; but as this defence was not found to 
be sufficiently secure, a thick platform caulked 
like the deck of a ship, was ultimately placed 
upon it, and which renders it nearly water proof. 
The breaking of the waves is heard in all the 
levels of the mine, and in the part directly be- 
neath the pebbly beach, the rolling of the stones 
in boisterous weather produces a most terrific 
effect. In the drift at the forty fathom level, 
which is carried a considerable way under the 



138 Formation of Stalactites. 

sea, Mr. Chenhalls, the intelligent agent of the 
mine, had formerly observed a successive forma- 
tion of Stalactites ; in consequence of which state- 
ment, Dr. John Davy and Mr. Majendie were 
induced to visit the spot. It had been closed for 
two years previously, but before it was shut up 
Mr. Chenhalls had carefully removed all the 
Stalacites which then existed. Upon examination 
it was observed that a fresh crop had been pro- 
duced during the interval just stated; some of 
which were eighteen inches in length, and above 
an inch in diameter. The Stalagmites directly 
underneath them were of still larger dimensions; 
both however had the same yellowish-brown co- 
lour, and were found to consist of Peroxide of 
iron. Specimens may be seen in the cabinet at 
Penzance. Dr. Paris has suggested that they 
resulted from the decomposition of P^ "rites ', form- 
ing, in the first instance, a soluble Sulphate of 
iron, but which, by attracting farther oxygen, 
deposited its base in the form here discovered. 

At a little distance southward of Cape Corn- 
wall, is a high rocky promontory called Cara- 
glose Head, from which the traveller may 
command one of the most interesting views in 
this part of Cornwall. On the north are Cape 
Cornwall, and the romantic machinery of Little 



Caraglose Head. Its Scenery. 139 

Bounds Mine. Southward and directly under the 
head, the interesting creek called Porn an von 
Cove, with the engine of Huel St. Just Tin 
Mine near the sea shore. Westward, on a clear 
day, the Scilly Islands may be distinctly seen. 
This is a spot seldom visited by strangers, but 
with the exception of Botallack, it is certainly 
one of the most striking in the district of Saint 
Just. At Pornanvon Coze, a stratum of sea sand 
and pebbles may be seen in the cliff, at an eleva- 
tion of fifteen feet above high water mark ! 

Advancing from the coast into the interior of 
the country towards Saint Just's Church-town, 
Dr. Berger observed many blocks of Schorl rock* 
scattered on this part of the granitic plain, par- 
ticularly amongst the rubbish of some old tin 
mines, which are here very numerous, but are 
now quite deserted. 

Saint Just Church Town. Nothing of any 
interest is to be seen at this place, except a very 

* This rock is a binary compound of Quartz and Schorl, with- 
out any, or scarcely any, admixture of the other constituents of 
Granite ; and yet when we consider its various relations, it must be 
regarded as rather a variety of the latter than a distinct rock. The 
locality now mentioned and that singular group of rocks between 
Truro and Bodmin, known by the name of Roach Rock, are, as far 
as we know, the only places in Cornwall where this modification 
of granite is found in mass. In the form of veins its occnrrence is 
not unusual, especially at the junction of granite and slate, where 
it would often seem to exist as an intermediate rock. 



140 Saint Just Church Town, 

ancient cross, a sketch of which we shall intro- 
duce at the conclusion of the present chapter ; 
and the remains of an ancient Amphitheatre. 

In this, and similar " Rounds" as they are 
provincially called, the ancient British assembled, 
in order to witness those athletic sports, for which 
the Cornish are still remarkable ; indeed, at this 
very day, Wrestling- matches are held in the am- 
phitheatre at Saint Just, during the holidays of 
Easter and Whitsuntide. 

The Antiquary ought not to quit this parish 
without visiting the " Botallack Circles;" when 
examined separately they do not differ essentially 
from that at Bolleit, or at Boscawen Un before 
described (p. 81); but they intersect each other 
and form a confused cluster ; " but in this seem- 

+ The Cornish have ever been celebrated for their skill in the art 
of Wrestling; hence the expression " To give one a Cornish Hug" 
which is a dexterous lock in that art peculiar to them. It must, 
however, be admitted, whether as a matter of triumph or humilia- 
tion, we will not declare, that the Cornish have greatly declined 
in their art, so as to be now inferior even to the Devonians, and to 
the inhabitants of many other districts in their prowess. This de- 
generacy might perhaps be attributed to the change which has 
taken place during the lapse of time, in the mode of working for 
Tin ; formerly it was all procured by Streaming, an occupation as 
healthy and invigorating, as the present one of subterranean mining 
is debilitating. We apprehend, however, that a moral cause of 
still greater force has contributed to the change — the diffusion of 
Methodism ; which has unquestionably proved a powerful instru- 
ment in the amelioration of the habits and disposition of the Cornish 
miner. 



The Botallack Circles — The Cassiterides. 141 

ing confusion," exclaims Dr. Borlase, " I cannot 
but think that there was some mystical meaning, 
or, at least, distinct allotment to particular uses ; 
some of these might be employed for the sacrifice, 
others allotted to prayer, others to the feasting 
of the priests, others for the station of those who 
devoted the victims ; and lastly, that these cir- 
cles intersected each other in so remarkable a 
manner, as we find them in this monument, might 
be to intimate that each of these holy rites, though 
exercised in different circles, were but so many 
links of one and the same chiiin, and that there 
was a constant dependance and connection be- 
tween sacrifice, prayer, holy feasting, and all the 
several parts of Druidical worship." 

In taking leave of the metalliferous district of 
Saint Just we have to observe, that it has been 
considered by Mr. Came, and not without pro- 
bability, as having constituted the principal por- 
tion of what was formerly known under the name 
of the Cassiterides, and that if it would redound 
to the honour, or contribute to the prosperity of 
Saint Just, it might be said, " that her Tin was 
probably a constituent part of the Shield and 
Helmet of Achilles, — of the Tabernacle of the 
Israelites,— of the Purple of Tyre,— and of the 
Temple of Solomon." 



142 



St. Just. 



From Saint Just's Church-town, the road con- 
ducts us over a wild part of the peninsula, al- 
though highly salubrious, and invigorating from 
the fine sea breezes which blow from every side; 
after a ride over such bleak and barren hills, the 
eye experiences a singular repose on our ap- 
proach to the cultivated shores of the Mount's 
Bay. 







Saint Just. 



Kenegie — Rosmorran. 143 



EXCURSION IY. 

TO SAINT IVES, HAYLE, HUEL ALFRED, &c. 



Passing through the little village of Chyan- 
dour, we ascend by a shady road through that of 
Gulval, to Kenegie ,* the seat of the family of 
John Arundel Harris Arundel, Esq. This spot 
commands a very interesting view of the Mount's 
Bay, the beauty of which is greatly heightened 
by the diversified and picturesque foreground. 
On a neighbouring hill is Rosmorran, the re- 
tired cottage ornee of George John, Esq. of Pen- 
zance ; we scarcely know a situation where the 
skill of the landscape gardener could be exerted 
with greater advantage or effect. 

Pursuing the road, and passing the gate of 
Kenegie, we ascend the great granite range 
which extends from Dartmoor to the Land's 
End, and which appears, in this part of the 

* Kenegie became the seat of the younger branch of Harris of 
Heyne, in about the year 1600. 



144 Castle an Dinas. 

country, to be broken into a number of detached 
groups. Upon the summit of one of these hills 
stands a castellated building which, although of 
modern construction, occupies the site of an an- 
cient u hill castle, called " Castle an Dinas ;" it 
was erected by John Rogers, Esq., as a pictu- 
resque object from his occasional residence at 
Treassowe. 

On descending the northern side of the granite 
ridge, a curious atmospheric phenomenon is fre- 
quently observable, — the clear and cloudless sky 
becoming suddenly dense and hazy ; the change 
is evidently occasioned by the condensation of 
the vapours contained in the warm and rarefied 
air of the Mount's Bay, by the colder one which 
blows from the Bristol channel. Amidst wild 
and rugged hills the road winds to Saint Ives, in 
the course of which, the geologist will have 
many opportunities of furnishing his portfolio 
with sketches, in illustration of the changes 
which time and weather produce on Granite; 
husrh blocks of this stone lie scattered on all 
sides, while stupendous masses are seen on the 
hills above in different stages of decomposition, 
and which from their threatening attitude, would 
appear as if in preparation to join their former 
companions in the plains below. 



Saint Ives. 145 

Saint Ives. This populous sea port and 
borough stands on the shores of the Bristol Chan- 
nel, in a very fine bay bounded by bold rocks of 
Greenstone and Slate. The latter of these rocks 
is in many places undergoing rapid decompo- 
sition, in consequence of which large masses of 
the Hornblende rock have fallen in various di- 
rections, and given a singular character of pictu- 
resque rudeness to the scene : this is remarkably 
striking in the group of rocks which constitute 
Godrevy Island. 

Saint Ives is a populous sea port, of very con- 
siderable antiquity, deriving its name from that 
of Ha, a religious woman, who came hither from 
Ireland in about the year 460. The Corporation, 
which obtained its powers from a charter granted 
by Charles the First, consists of a mayor, record- 
er, town-clerk, twelve capital burgesses, and 
twenty-four inferior burgesses. The Borough 
returns two members to Parliament, a privilege 
which was conferred in the fifth year of Queen 
Mary ; and the right of election was vested in 
all the householders in the parish paying scot 
and lot. In the year 1816, the magistrates, and 
trustees of the Pier and Port of Saint Ives re- 
solved to extend the former, and to construct a 
breakwater, in order to shelter it. The under- 






146 The Pilchard Fishery. 

taking has been commenced, but it is at present 
far from being completed. 

Saint Ives is the birth place of the Reverend 
Jonathan Toup, Rector of Saint Martin's near 
Looe, the learned annotator of Suidas, and editor 
of Longinus. His father was formerly the lec- 
turer of this town. 

On no part of the Cornish coast is the Pilchard 
fishery carried on with greater activity or suc- 
cess ; and at the time of large draughts, it is 
usual for all the inhabitants to contribute their 
assistance ; shops and dwelling-houses are fre- 
quently deserted on such occasions, and even the 
church has been abandoned, when large shoals 
have made their appearance on the Sabbath ! 
By a certain signal given by a person stationed 
on the heights, the approach of a shoal is gene- 
rally announced to the town ; the effect is most 
singular. Trumpets are immediately heard in 
different parts, and the inhabitants rushing from 
their houses, and quitting their ordinary occu- 
pations, are to be seen running in all directions, 
and vociferating the word " Hever — Hever — 
Hever" — What the term signifies, or whence it 
was derived, no one can conjecture, but its sound 
is no less animating to the ears of a Saint Ives- 
raan, than is the cry of " To Arms" to the Son 



The Pilchard Fishery. 1 47 

of Mars; and the tumult which it excites is more 
like that of a besieged city, than the peaceable 
and joyful bustle of an industrious fishing town. 

As we have not hitherto described the manner 
in which the Pilchard Fishery is conducted, per* 
haps the present will be an appropriate oppor- 
tunity. 

The Pilchard, in size and form, very much 
resembles the common Herring,* and is actually 
confounded with it by Linnaeus, under the name 
of" Clupcea Harengus ;" upon close inspection, 
however, an essential difference may be readily 
discovered. The Pilchard is less compressed, as 
well as smaller; there is besides a very simple, 
and common test of distinction, depending upon 
the dorsal fin of the Pilchard being placed ex- 
actly in the centre of gravity, if therefore it be 
taken up by this fin, it will preserve an equili- 
brium ; while the body of the Herring, when so 
tried, will dip towards the* head. Mr. Pennant 
likewise observes that the scales of the latter 
easily drop off, whereas those of the Pilchard 
adhere very closely. 

It has been commonly stated that these fish 

* There is also a vevy considerable similarity in their mode of 
migration. The word Herring is derived from the German " Hcer," 
an Army, to express their numbers, and order of array. 

k2 



MS The Pilchard Fishery. 

migrate from the North sea in immense shoals, 
during the summer months, and reach the Cor- 
nish coast about the middle of July, where they 
remain until the latter end of September, when 
they again depart to the arctic regions. This 
statement, however, cannot be correct, as the 
fish are never seen off the coasts of Scotland, the 
northern shores of Ireland, the Isle of Man, nor, 
in fact, off any coast north of Cornwall. It 
would therefore seem more probable, that they 
come from some part of the Western ocean, and 
return thither at the end of the season. Within 
the last ten years a considerable alteration in 
their usual course has taken place, much to the 
disappointment of the Cornish Fishermen ; they 
have kept at a greater distance from the shores ; 
whether this circumstance has arisen from their 
food being farther than usual out at sea, or from 
any alteration in the currents, it is impossible to 
ascertain. In the present year, however, they 
seem to have returned to Saint Ives ; an immense 
quantity, calculated at three thousand hogsheads, 
having been taken at one " catch," by two Seines 
in this bay. The other parts of the coast have 
been visited only by very small shoals. 

The preparations for this fishery are generally 



The Pilchard Fishery. 149 

commenced about the end of July,* as the period 
at which the Pilchards are expected to pay their 
annual visit. As they usually make their ap- 
pearance here in the evening, the boats engaged 
in the adventure seldom go to sea before three or 
four o'clock in the afternoon, and as rarely re- 
main longer than ten. On some occasions, how- 
ever, they go out again very early in the morn- 
ing, and have sometimes succeeded in taking fish 
at sun rise. The fishermen, arranged in boats 
which are scattered at a little distance from each 
other, are directed to the shoals by persons who 
are stationed on the cliff's, or who sometimes 
follow in boats. These persons who are called 
" Huers" probably from the hue and cry which 
they raise, discover them by the peculiar red 
tintt which the water assumes, and from other 

* The first outfit of a Seine, with its boats, oars, ropes, sails, 
nets, and a quantity of salt sufficient to cure five hundred hog- 
sheads offish, if purchased new, cannot be estimated at less than 
a Thousand pounds. The preparations for the water consists of 
three boats, i. e. two large ones and a small one ; each large boat 
containing seven men, and in the small one are the master, another 
man, and two boys. The " Seine BoaV and the " .FoWoieer" are 
the names by which the two large boats are distinguished ; and 
the small one is called the "Z/Mrfcer." 

+ The whiteness of the sand in the Bay of St. Ives renders the 
shoals of fish easily distinguishable, and contributes very greatly 
to the success of the fishery upon this coast. 



150 The Pilchard Fishery. 

indications with which they are well acquainted.* 
The spot where the nets should be cast, or " shot" 
having been determined from the signals of the 
Huer" the boat containing the great net or " Stop 
Seine" as it is called, and which is frequently as 
much as 300 fathoms in length, and 10 in depth, 
is gradually cast from the boat into the sea by 
two men, as the vessel is gently rowed round the 
shoal by others of the crew ; a service which is 
performed with such dexterity that in less than 
four minutes the whole of this enormous net is 
shot, and the fish enclosed. Upon this occasion 
it is always the first care of the Seiner to secure 
that part to which the fish were swimming ; and 
then so to carry the net around them, that they 
shall be hemmed in on every side. The net im- 
mediately spreads itself, the corks on one edge 
rendering it buoyant, and the leaden weights on 
the other causing it to sink to the bottom ; for if 
the depth of the water should exceed that of the 
Seine, it is evident that there would be little 

* The Tunny fish in the Archipelago was caught by a similar 
process, " Ascendebat quidam (Anglice the Huer, Graece Thun- 
noscopos) in ultum promontorium, unde Thunnorum gregem spe- 
cularetur, quo viso, signum piscatoribus dabat, qui ratibus totum 
gregem includebant." Vide Blomfield , s Notes on the Perste of 
Eschylus, p. 148. The seine was as familiar to the Athenians, as 
the Pilchard fishery is to ihe inhabitants of Cornwall ; and it is 
•aid that Eschylus took great delight in witnessing it. 






The Pilchard Fishery. 151 

probability of securing any fish, however large 
the shoal might be. As the circle in which the 
Seine is shot, is generally larger than the net can 
compass, its two extremities are at a distance 
from each other when the whole is in the water. 
Ropes are therefore carried out from each of 
these ends, by which they are warped together 
by the men on board the two large boats, so as to 
bring them into contact. When this is effected, 
the two extremities, if the shoal be large, are 
lifted from the bottom, and expeditiously tacked 
together. During this last operation every me- 
thod is adopted to agitate the water, and drive 
back the body of fish from this only aperture 
through which they can escape. This having 
been accomplished, the fish remain within the 
enclosure formed by the encircling net, which 
extends from the surface to the bottom of the 
sea. It only now remains to secure the Seine in 
its position, for which purpose grapnels, or small 
anchors, are carried out at some distance on 
every side, the ropes from which are fastened to 
the rope at the upper end of the net ; these grap- 
nels will of course retain the Seine in its circular 
position, and preserve it against the influence of 
the tides, and the changes of the weather. Where, 
however, the shore is sandy and shelving, as in 



152 The Pilchard Fishery. 

Saint Ives' Bay, the Seine is at once drawn into 
shallow water by a number of men, who are 
called " Blowsers." 

The quantity of fish which is thus secured will 
depend of course on many contingent circum- 
stances, such for instance, as the strength of the 
tides, the nature of the coast, and the dexterity 
of the fishermen, &c. A Seine has sometimes 
enclosed as many as fifteen hundred, or two 
thousand hogsheads. The next operation is to 
remove the fish from the Seine, and to convey 
them in boats to the shore. This is performed 
by another smaller net, termed a " Tuck net" 
and the process is called " Tucking" and is a 
sight which the stranger should not, on any ac- 
count, neglect to witness. This busy scene al- 
ways takes place at low water, and when it hap- 
pens on one of those calm evenings which so 
frequently occur in the summer season, it is im- 
possible to imagine a more exquisite scene. The 
moon shedding her lustre on the sea displays its 
surface covered with vessels, sailing or rowing 
in all directions to the Seine, whilst her beams 
by striking upon the dripping fish as they are 
poured, by baskets, from the tuck net into boats,* 

* The boats which attend for the purpose of conveying the fish 
from the tuck net to the shore are termed " Dippers" the proprie- 



The Curing oj Pilchards. 153 

produce an appearance which resembles a stream 
of liquid silver. 

There is another mode of catching Pilchards 
by " Driving Nets"* which are drawn aftet 
their respective boats, fastened only at one end,* 
in the meshes of which the fish are arrested as 
they attempt to pass. This species of fishery is 
always carried on at a considerable distance from 
the shore, lest, by approaching too near the land 
they should disperse the shoals which the Seiner 
is waiting to. enclose. The quantity thus taken 
is very small ; but the fish are remarkably fine, 
and the expense of the adventure is comparatively 
trifling. 

The fish, having been brought to the fish cel- 
lars, undergo the process of being " cured; 1 ' 
which is performed by laying them up in broad 
piles, " in bulk" as it is called, and salting them 
as they are piled up, with bay salt. In this situa- 
tion they generally remain for forty days, although 
the time allowed for their lying in bulk is often 

tors of which are differently compensated in different places ; they 
either leceive a certain proportion of the fish, as from one-fourth to 
one-sixth, according to the distance from the shore, or else they 
receive a certain sum of money for each boat load, When the fish 
are caught in the night, fires are instantly kindled on the nearest 
shore, as a signal for the boats in the bay to repair to the spot. 

* These nets are of far greater antiquity than the Seine, the lat- 
ter having been introduced from Ireland. 



15& The Curing of Pilchards. 

regulated by the interests of the merchant, who, 
it may be supposed, is ever ready to avail himself 
of any favourable turn in the foreign markets. 
The period directed by Government is that of 
thirty- three days. During this process a great 
quantity of oil, blood, and dirty pickle, drains 
from the fish ; and which, from the inclination of 
the floor, immediately find their way into a re- 
ceptacle placed for their reception.* The Pil- 
chards, when taken from the bulk, are carried to 
large troughs, in which they are washed, and 
completely cleansed from the salt, filth, and coa- 
gulated oil which they had acquired. t They are 
then packed into hogsheads, and pressed by a 
strong lever, for the purpose of squeezing out the 
oil, which issues through a hole at the bottom of 
the cask ; the pressing continues for a week, and 
formerly ten gallons of oil were procured from 
every hogshead, but at this time, not more than 
four can be obtained ; such a change in the fat- 
ness of the fish is not easily to be explained. The 
hogsheads are now headed up, and exported to 
the different ports of the Mediterranean, princi- 

* These dregs are sold to the curriers, at about sixteen pence 
per gallon. 

t The skimmings which float on the water in which the pilchards 
are washed, bear the name of Garbage, and are sold to the soap- 
boilers. 



I 



(Economical importance of the Fishery. 155 

pally to the Italian ports ; and upon every hogs- 
head so exported, Government allows a bounty 
of 8s 6d. Upwards of 30,000 hogsheads are an- 
nually consumed in England ; and above 100,000 
have been exported in one year. The quantity 
of salt necessary to cure a hogshead of fish is es- 
timated at about 300 lbs. and the expense of the 
whole for that quantity, including the cask, salt, 
labour, &c. is from ^1 : 3s to £1 : 6s ; and it has 
been calculated that the bounty, together with 
the value of the oil (from £20 to £2% per ton), 
will in general reimburse the whole expense. 

This fishery is in every respect of the highest 
importance to the county of Cornwall, affording 
employment to at least twelve thousand persons,* 
whilst the capital engaged cannot be fairly esti- 
mated at less than three hundred and fifty, or 
four hundred thousand pounds. 

The broken and refuse fish are sold at about 
lOd per bushel, for manure, and are used through- 
out the county with excellent effects, especially 

* In salting, packing, pressing, and preparing the fish for the 
market, there are at least 5000, 4-5ths of which are women ; the 
rope-makers, blacksmiths, shipwrights, &c. upwards of 400 ; the 
twine spinners are women, about 150 in number ; the makers 
and menders of nets are chiefly women and children, in all about 
600. Nets are also made during the winter season, by the fisher- 
men and their families. These numbers are of course exclusive of 
the seamen employed. 



156 The Herring Fishery, 

for raising all green crops ; they are usually mix- 
ed with sand, or soil, and sometimes with sea 
weed, to prevent them from raising too luxuriant 
a crop, arising from a too rapid decomposition ; 
thus employed their effects are very permanent, 
and there is a popular belief that a single pil- 
chard will fertilize a foot square of land for 
several years; and certain it is, that after the 
apparent exhaustion of this manure, its powers 
may be again excited by ploughing in a small 
proportion of quick lime, which will produce a 
still further decomposition of the animal matter, 
and develope a fresh succession of those elements 
which are essential to the growth of vegetable 
substances. 

The Herring fishery is also carried on to a 
great extent at Saint Ives; this fish appears after 
the pilchard has quitted the shores, and is much 
smaller than that which is caught on the northern 
coasts of Britain ; which corroborates the general 
opinion, that the farther it migrates to the south, 
the more it decreases in size. It is also worthy 
of remark that, notwithstanding the great abun- 
dance of this fish in the Bristol Channel, it very 
seldom passes the Land's End, and is conse- 
quently rarely caught in the Mount's Bay, or on 
the southern shores of Cornwall. 



Tregenna Castle. KnilVs Pyramid. 157 

Bat let us return from this digression, and pro- 
ceed with our excursion. — 

Quitting Saint Ives by the eastern road, we 
are conducted along an elevated cliff, which 
affords a complete command of every object in 
the bay ; in our route we pass Tregenna Castle , 
the seat of Samuel Stephens, Esq. and on the 
summit of a lofty hill, about a mile from this 
mansion, stands a pyramid, which immediately 
attracts the notice of the traveller, as well on 
account of the singular wildness of its situation, 
as the complete absence of every shrub, or rural 
ornament, with which such objects are usually 
associated. It was erected by the late eccentric 
John Knill, Esq., a bencher of Gray's Inn, and 
some time collector of the Port of Saint Ives, it 
having been intended as a Mausoleum for the re- 
ception of his remains, although he afterwards 
revoked this intention, and ordered his body to 
be given to an anatomist in London, for dissec- 
tion. On one side of this pyramid is inscribed, 
" Johannes Knill, 11 on another, " IZesurgam," 
and on a third, " I know that my Redeemer 
liveth." He directed in his will, that at the end 
of every five years, a Matron and ten girls, 
dressed in white, should walk in procession, with 
music, from the market house at Saint Ives, to 



158 Quinquennial Celebration 

this pyramid, around which they should dance, 
singing the hundredth Psalm 1 



" Pueri circum innupteeque puellae 



Sacra canunt." 

For the purpose of keeping up this custom, he 
bequeathed some freehold lands, which are vested 
in the officiating minister, the mayor, and the 
collector of the port of Saint Ives, who are al- 
lowed Ten Pounds for a dinner. The first cele- 
bration of these Quinquennial rites excited, as 
may easily be supposed, very considerable in- 
terest throughout the western parts of the county. 

" No tongue was mute, nor foot was still, 
But One and All* were on the hill, 
In chorus round the tomb of Knill." 

The report which was drawn up at the time by 
an eye witness of these festivities, exhibits such 
an admirable specimen of the mock Heroic, that 
we feel assured that the tourist will thank us for 
having given insertion to it in the Appendix. 

Pursuing the road along the cliff we pass Lelant 
church, and arrive at the river Hayle, which 
takes its rise near Crowan, and falls into Saint 
Ives Bay ; although it arrives at the level of the 
sea three miles before it reaches the northern 
coast, and winds its way through an area of sand, 

* One and All, — the motto of the Cornish arms. 



of the Knillian Games. 159 

nearly half a mile wide, and more than two miles 
long ; this sand, at high water, is generally sub- 
merged, so that the traveller who wishes to cross 
is obliged to take a circuitous route over the 
bridge at Saint Erth ; but upon the ebbing of 
the tide, it soon becomes fordable, and may be 
passed over even by foot passengers. It is a 
curious circumstance that at twelve o'clock at 
noon, and at midnight, it is always fordable; 
this apparent paradox is solved by knowing, that 
at Spring tides it is always low water at these 
hours, and that the Neap tides never rise suf- 
ficiently high to impede the passage. 

The Port of Hayle is situated on the eastern 
side of the river, where a great trade is carried 
on with Wales for timber, coals,* iron, and lime- 
stone ; and with Bristol, for earthen- ware, gro- 
ceries, &c. It is also one of the principal places 
of export for the copper ore of the western mines. 
In the former edition of this work we described 
the processes by which the smelting and refining 
of Copper were conducted at this place, but as it 
was acknowledged to be much cheaper to carry 
the ore to the coal, than to bring the coal to the 
ore, the proprieters found themselves compelled 

* Cornwall is exempted from the payment of any duties on coal, 
so far as it is used for the working of the mines. 



160 Port of Ilayle. 

to abandon the speculation. The buildings in 
the neighbourhood, however, still continue as 
memorials of the former existence of such works, 
having been constructed with square masses of 
the scoria,* which had been cast into moulds for 
such purposes, as it issued from the furnace. In 
the museum of the Geological Society at Pen- 
zance the stranger may see an interesting model 
of this Copper House, and of the furnaces em- 
ployed in the reduction of the ore. 

There are now at Hayle two very extensive 
Iron Founderies, in which are cast the largest 
engines which have been hitherto erected on 
mines. They are wrought partly by water, and 
partly by Steam Engines. Near the Copper 
House the traveller will not fail to notice the 
fine back-water dam, which was constructed 
about thirty years since, for the scouring out of 
the harbour. The effect has been a considerable 
reduction of the sand which forms its bottom, so 
that ships of much greater burden may now enter 
it. The plan and execution of this work, which 
was undertaken at the expense of the then exist- 

* All the walls in the neighbourhood are built of the same ma- 
terial ; and since these vitreous cubes are so piled upon each other 
as to leave interstices, it has been facetiously observed that " in 
Cornwall the walls are built of glass, and that you may distinctly see 
through them." 



Inundation of Sand. 161 

ing Hayle Copper Company, reflect great credit 
on the late John Edwards, Esq., who first con- 
ceived its practicability and advantage, and under 
whose direction it was completed. A phenome- 
non occurred at these works some years ago 
which afforded a curious illustration of the secret 
and destroying agency of Galvanic electricity. The 
flood gates were found to undergo a very rapid 
decay, which was perfectly inexplicable, until 
the engineer ascertained that it depended en- 
tirely upon the contact of iron and copper bolts 
and braces, which had been introduced into the 
different parts of the frame work. 

The country around Hayle is entirely desolated 
with sand, consisting of minutely comminuted ma- 
rine shells, and which, with some few interrup- 
tions extends all along the coast, from Saint Ives 
to near Padstow, and in many places is drifted 
into hills of sixty feet in elevation. There can 
be but little doubt that this sand was originally 
brought from the sea side by hurricanes, but not 
even a popular tradition remains of the time or 
manner of this extensive devastation, which has 
reached, with some distinct intervals, nearly forty 
miles in length. Some allusion to this event has 
been supposed to have been discovered amongst 
the ancient records of the Arundel family, fixing 

L 



162 Arundo Arenaria. 

the period about the twelfth century ; but Mr. 
Boase observes, that the fact of the churches still 
remaining more or less ingulphed, the age of 
which does not much exceed three centuries, 
decisively refutes such a conjecture. On the 
other hand, it would appear that in the liber 
valorum of Henry the Eighth, the living of Gwy~ 
thian was estimated far above its proportion to 
adjoining parishes. By the shifting of the sand 
by high winds, the tops of houses, and the ruins 
of ancient buildings, may be occasionally seen at 
this very day; and in some places a great num- 
ber of human bones have been discovered, deri- 
ved from the cemetries which have been formerly 
inundated. 

The farther progress of the sand flood is at 
length arrested by extensive plantations of the 
Arundo Arenaria, or common sea rush.* 

The most important geological circumstance 
connected with the history of this sand is, that 

* IJhe value of this useful rush in checking the progress of sand, 
has been long known ; there was an act of parliament in Scotland, 
so long ago as the year 1695, to prevent persons who collected this 
rush (then known by the name of Starve or Bent) for the purpose 
of making mats, from plucking it up, and thereby loosening the 
sand. A clause to the same effect was introduced into a multifarious 
act of parliament in the year 1742. The operation of this clause 
extends generally to the north-west coast of England ; but such 
persons as claimed prescriptive right of cutting it on the sea coast 
of Cumberland are exempted from its operation. 



The Sand solidifying into Rock. 163 

on several parts of the coast, it is passing into 
the state of a solid compact rock! The fact was 
first investigated by Dr. Paris, who has published 
a memoir upon the subject in the first volume of 
the Transactions of the Geological Society of 
Cornwall ; and as every scientific traveller must 
be desirous of exploring so interesting a pheno- 
menon we have extracted, from the paper above 
mentioned, such notices as may be useful in 
assisting his researches. 

" The Sandstone which occurs on the northern 
coast of Cornwall undoubtedly affords one of the 
most splendid and instructive instances of a 
Recent Formation upon record. We actually 
detect Nature at work in changing calcareous 
sand into stone ; and she does not refuse admit- 
tance into her manufactory, nor does she conceal 
with her accustomed reserve the details of the 
operations in which she is engaged. It does not 
however appear that any geologist has fully 
availed himself of so rare an indulgence; — to 
drop the allegory, no complete or satisfactory 
explanation has been hitherto afforded of this 
most interesting formation, nor of the phenomena 
which attend it. At the period that Dr. Borlase 
wrote his History of Cornwall, the science of 
Chemistry had scarcely dawned; we cannot there- 
in 



164 Interesting Formation 

fore feel surprised at his having attributed c the 
concretion of shelly sand to the agglutinating qua- 
lity of sea watery 

" The sand first appears in a slight, but en- 
creasing state of aggregation on several parts of 
the shore in the Bay of Saint Ives ; but on ap- 
proaching the Gwythian river it becomes more 
extensively indurated. On the shore opposite 
to Godrevy Island, an immense mass occurs of 
more than a hundred feet in depth, containing 
entire shells and fragments of clay-slate ; and it 
is singular that the whole mass should assume a 
very striking appearance of stratification. In 
some places, it appears that attempts have been 
made to separate it, probably for the purpose of 
building, for several old houses in Gwythian are 
entirely built with it. The rocks in the vicinity 
of this recent formation in the Bay of Saint Ives 
are Greenstone and Clay-slate, which appear to 
alternate. But it is around the promontory of 
New Kaye y in Fistrel Bay, in the parish of Saint 
Columb Minor, that the geologist will be most 
struck with this formation, for here there is 
scarcely any other rock in sight. The cliffs, 
which are high and extend for several miles, are 
wholly composed of it, and are occasionally in- 
tersected by veins and dykes of Breccia. In the 



of Recent Sandstone. 165 

cavities hang calcareous stalactites of rude ap- 
pearance. The beach is covered with disjointed 
fragments, which have been detached from the cliff 
above, many of which weigh at least from two to 
three tons. The sandstone is also to be here seen 
in different stages of induration ; from a state in 
which it is too friable to be detached from the 
rock upon which it reposes without crumbling, 
to a hardness so considerable as to require a very 
violent blow from a hammer to break it;* indeed 
holes are actually bored in some parts for the 
purpose of admitting cables with which vessels 
are moored. Buildings are here commonly con- 
structed of it, and the church of Oantock is 
entirely built with it. By the inhabitants the 
stone is employed for various articles of domestic 
and rural ceconomy." 

" The Geologist, who has previously examined 
the celebrated specimen from Guadaloupe, en- 
closing a human skeleton, and which is now in 
the British Museum, will be forcibly struck with 
the great similitude which this stone bears to it ; 
and suspecting that masses might be found con- 
taining human bones imbedded, if a diligent 
search were made in the vicinity of those cenie- 

* A highly illustrative scries of this rock is deposited in the Geo- 
logical Cabinet at Penzance. 



166 



Recent Sandstone. 



tries which have been overwhelmed, 1 made an 
excursion with my friend Sir ChristopherHawkins, 
for that purpose ; but time and patience failed us, 
and the discovery is reserved for some more per- 
severing and fortunate member of the society." 

" Such then is the nature and situation of this 
most interesting formation. In the next place, 
we have to enquire into the causes which have 
operated in thus consolidating the sand, and into 
the peculiar circumstances under which the ope- 
ration has been conducted." 

" It will appear that there are at least three 
distinct modes by which the lapidification of cal- 
careous sand may be effected, and that the present 
formation is capable of affording characteristic 
examples of each." 

" The three species of cementing matter to 
which I allude, are all deposited from water in 
which they either exist chemically dissolved, or 
mechanically suspended. The water deriving 
them from the substances through which it perco- 
lates ; thus is the first species of cement obtained — 

1. By the percolation of water, through a stra- 

tum of calcareous sand, by which it becomes 
impregnated with carbonate of lime. 

2. By the percolation of water through strata 

containing decomposing Sirfphurcts ; by 



Theory of the Phenomenon, 167 

zchich it becomes impregnated with Sul- 
phuric salts. 
3. By the percolation of water through decom- 
posing Clay-slate, or any other ferruginous 
strata; by which it becomes impregnated 
with Iron, Alumina, and other mineral 
matter. 
In the first case, the very small proportion of 
carbonate of lime which is held in solution will 
necessarily render it a powerful cement, since the 
density and compactness of a precipitate will gene- 
rally vary, inversely as the rapidity with which it 
is deposited. This fact is familiarly illustrated by 
the obstinate adhesion of calcareous incrustations 
to the interior surfaces of water decanters. In 
the second case, wherein a sulphuric salt would 
appear to act the part of a cement, it may be ob- 
served, that the sulphatization of pyrites in the 
presence of calcareous matter is a very general 
source of gypsum. The granular gypsum from 
the Falls of Niagara, which is described by Dr. 
Kidd as being " as white as snow," owes its 
origin to a natural process of this decomposition; 
for I am informed by Dr. Maclure of Philadel- 
phia, who has visited the spot, that it is formed 
in consequence of the action of water upon de- 
composing slate, which contains numerous veins 



JC8 Recent Sandstone. 

of carbonate of lime and sulphate of iron. I have 
also in my possession a series of incrustations 
which were taken out of steam boilers in Corn- 
wall, one of which presents an admirable instance 
of the formation of sulphate of lime, its surface 
being beautifully studded with its crystals ; the 
water which supplied the boiler, and by the eva- 
poration of which this substance was deposited, 
was derived from a mine in clay-slate intersected 
with veins of Pyrites and carbonate of lime J" 

" With regard to the third species of cementing 
matter, viz. Oxide of Iron, it is scarcely neces- 
sary to state, that in the induration of mineral 
bodies Iron has been long known to act a very 
important part ; the most superficial observer 
must have noticed the concretions which so fre- 
quently appear on the beach around a rusty nail, 
or any fragment of iron, while the mineralogist 
must be acquainted with the proofs which Mr. 
Kirwan has collected in support of the fact. Nor 
is the part which it performs in the disintegration 
of mineral bodies less obvious ; by its agency we 
have seen a loose sand become a hard rock, but if 
we extend our inquiry we shall find that Iron by 
attracting a farther proportion of oxygen from 
air or moisture, soon crumbles into dust, and 
thus proves the immediate cause of Ihe decern* 



Huel Alfred — her Workings resumed. 169 

position of that very rock, of which it formerly 
constituted the indurating- ingredient. In this, as 
in every other operation, Nature preserves her 
uniformity, producing the most diversified and 
opposite effects by the modified application of 
the same principles." 

For this long digression we feel conscious that 
some apology is necessary ; the extreme interest 
as well as novelty of the phenomenon will at 
once suggest a sufficient excuse to the geologist; 
and to other observers it may at least be pleaded 
in extenuation, that they have lost nothing by 
the delay, for it has been in a district which offers 
but few objects of amusement or instruction. 

About a mile and a half south-east of Hayle is 
Huel Alfred, which was some years ago one of 
the richest and most profitable Copper mines in 
the county. The adventurers gained a clear 
profit of nearly j€ 130,000 during the period in 
which it was wrought. In the year 1816, from 
various causes, this mine was stopped, but about 
six months ago a company of London gentlemen 
embarked in the concern, and commenced their 
operations in a very spirited manner. Before 
Midsummer 1824, they expect to set at work two 
steam-engines with cylinders of the immense size 
of 90 inches in diameter, and one of less dimen- 



170 The Herland Mines. 






sions. This mine will undoubtedly prove attrac- 
tive and interesting to the mineralogist, as, du- 
ring the last period of working, several curious 
and rare minerals were discovered, as Stalactitic, 
swimming, and cubic quartz ; carbonate, and phos- 
phate of Lead ; slalactitic, botryoidal, and invest- 
ing Calcedony, &c. The lodes of this mine are 
so large that should the stranger intend to visit 
the interior of the earth, he cannot select a bet- 
ter opportunity. 

About a mile east of Huel Alfred are situated 
the Herland Mines, which, after an interval of 
twenty years, have been lately set at work again. 
The adventurers in these mines are also prin- 
cipally London capitalists, who have erected two 
steam-engines of which the cylinders are 80 inches 
in diameter. The mineralogist will not fail to 
visit mines which were celebrated for the beauti- 
ful specimens of Native Silver, Vitreous Silver 
ore, and black oxide of Silver, found there during 
the last period of its working, an account of 
which, by the Rev. M. Hitchins, was published 
in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 
1801. 

There is a remarkable contrast between the 
lodes of Huel Alfred and those of Herland. The 
former being few, but very large ; the latter, 



Trevethoe. Saint Erlh. 171 

small but very numerous, and the ore peculiarly 
rich. 

The stranger may now proceed to Redruth, 
between which place and Hayle, there is a regu- 
lar line of rich Copper mines, but as we propose 
to examine this metalliferous district in a future 
excursion, we shall return by Saint Erth to Pen- 
zance. 

The desolate and barren appearance of the 
country in the neighbourhood of Hayle Sands, is 
much relieved by the woodland scenery of Treve- 
thoe, the seat of the family of Praed; the father 
of the present possessor first introduced the Pine- 
aster Fir, as a nurse for the growth of forest 
trees, and the estate of Trevethoe, as well as 
many others in the county, affords a striking 
evidence of the expediency of the plan. To the 
same gentleman we are indebted for the intro- 
duction of the Arundo arenaria, above mentioned. 

Arriving at the bridge of Saint Erth, the tra- 
veller will perceive that a considerable portion 
of the breadth of the peninsula is here penetrated 
by an arm of the sea, and that the land which 
succeeds it in a direction towards the south is so 
low, that a canal might easily be cut along the 
hills which terminate at Marazion, and a com- 
munication be thus opened between the English 



172 The Smelting House. 

and Irish Channels ; or that an iron rail-way for 
the conveyance of coals, sand, &c. might be con- 
structed at a comparatively small expense. 

At Saint Erth, were formerly situated the 
16 Rolling Mills" for reducing blocks, or bars of 
Copper, into flat sheets, as described in the first 
edition of this "Guide;" since, however, the 
Copper-works at Hayle have been abandoned, 
these mills have been used for rolling and ham- 
mering iron. 

In the neighbourhood of Saint Erth is Tredrea, 
the Cornish residence of Da vies Gilbert, Esq. 
M.P. 

On our return to Penzance an opportunity 
occurs of witnessing the operation of smelting 
Tin ore.* Jt consists in first heating the ore, 

* Tin appears to have been formerly smelted by the Jews, who 
in the reign of King John monopolized the tin trade, by merely 
hollowing out a plot of ground, and fusing the oxide with wood, in 
an open fire. Many ancient remains of this operation have been 
discovered in different parts of Cornwall, in which portions of 
metallic tin embedded in a stratum of charred wood, or charcoal, 
have been found ; and which have given rise to the fallacy res- 
pecting the discovery of this metal in a native state. In examining 
a fragment of this kind which was found under the surface of a 
low and boggy ground in the parish of Kea, the late eminent che- 
mist, Mr. William Gregor, observed a vein of saline matter running 
through the mass, which he ascertained to be muriate of tin ; a 
full account of this interesting phenomenon is published in the 
first volume of the Transactions of the Cornish Society. 



Litdevan Church. 173 



'» 



with about an eighth part of Culm,* in a rever- 
batory furnace for six hours, during which period 
the sulphur and arsenic are volatilized, and the 
ore is reduced to its metallic state; the furnace 
is then tapped, and the liquid metal run out; a 
second melting, however, is necessary before it is 
sufficiently pure to be cast into blocks, f and as- 
sayed at the Coinage. After this last melting, 
and before the Tin is poured into the moulds, a 
piece of green apple-tree wood is thrown into 
the liquid metal, and kept under its surface ; the 
effect of which is to throw up the scoria with ra- 
pidity ; it would seem to act merely in producing 
a violent ebullition by the sudden disengagement 
of steam. One hundred parts of the oxide of Tin 
(" Black Tin''') at an average will yield about 
65 parts of metal, or White Tin, as it is technically 
termed. 

Ludgvan Church, which appears upon an eleva- 
tion on the right of the road leading to Penzance, 
and which forms so prominent a feature on the 
shores of the bay, will be visited by the Antiquary 

* Culm. A species of very pure coal containing no sulphur. 
It is imported from Wales. 

+ It is a favourite custom to dress a beef-steak on the pure Tin 
in the mould, as soon as the surface becomes sufficiently hard to 
bear it; and it must be admitted to be very far superior to that 
which is cooked in the ordinary manner. 



174 Tomb of Dr. Borlase, 






with sensations of respect, when he learns that it 
contains the mortal remains of Dr. Borlase the 
venerable and learned author of the Natural His- 
tory and Antiquities of Cornwall. From the latin 
Inscription on his tomb it appears that he was 
fifty-two years rector of this parish, and that he 
died August Slst 1772, in the 77th year of his 
age. Although Dr. Borlase spent the greater 
part of a long life in this retired district, his fame 
as a scholar had spread through all the literary 
circles of the age. If we require any other tes- 
timony of his talents than that which his own 
works will afford, we may receive it from no less 
an oracle than Pope, with whom he regularly 
corresponded. In a letter written by the Poet, 
to express his thanks for the present of a Cornish 
diamond, presented by Dr. Borlase for the deco- 
ration of his grotto, Pope thus expresses himself, 
" I have received your gift, and have so placed 
it in my grotto, that it will resemble the donor — 
in the shade, but shining." 

If in the course of the present work we have 
ventured any remarks upon the opinions of Dr. 
Borlase which may be considered in the slightest 
degree disrespectful to his talents, we willingly 
offer this expiation at his shrine. His errors, 
whatever they may have been, were the inevi- 



the learned Antiquarian, 175 

table consequence of the infant state of those 
sciences indirectly connected with his pursuits, 
not the result of literary incapacity, or of de- 
praved judgment. 

" Custodiat Urnam 
Cana Fides, vigilentque perenni lampade Musae." 

About half a mile below the Church-Totcn, 
crossing the road to Marazion, is a vallum thrown 
up in the civil war by the Parliament forces when 
they besieged Saint Michael's Mount. 



176 Excursion to Redruth. 



EXCURSION V. 



TO REDRUTH, AND THE MINING DISTRICTS IN ITS 
VICINITY. 



In the present excursion, the traveller in search 
of the Picturesque will meet with but meagre 
fare ; for many a mile has the face of nature been 
robbed of all ornament, and the interior of the 
earth has been scattered over its surface in the 
anxious pursuit of mineral treasures. The un- 
sightly mounds of rubbish thus produced have 
been accumulating for centuries, and are so high- 
ly impregnated with mineral matter that not a 
blade of grass will vegetate upon them. 

The intelligent traveller, however, must not 
anticipate an excursion as destitute of interest 
and variety as the surface of the country which 
he is about to traverse, for like the shabby mien 
of the miser, its aspect but ill accords with its 
hoards; and the total absence of cultivation and 
rural ornament, is soon forgotten amidst the 



Antiquity of tfie Tin Mines. Ill 

richest field of mineralogical enquiry which any 
country ever afforded. 

As our present object is to afford the stranger 
such directions as may enable him to inspect this 
mining district with advantage, and to visit what- 
ever is interesting and instructive in connection 
with it, it may in the first instance be expedient 
to offer a general outline of the modes in which 
the Cornish mines are worked, before we enter 
into the details of topographical description. 

For many centuries* the Tin Mines in Corn- 
wall ha^e given to the country a very important 
place in the ceconomical history of nations, and 
furnished a perpetual source of employment to a 
very large population, which exclusive of the 
artisans, tradesmen, and merchants, cannot be 
estimated at less than sixty thousand persons. 

All the transactions connected with the Tin 
Mines are under the controul of the Stannary 
Laws. Courts are held every month, and they 

* The Phoenicians traded upon the western coasts of Cornwall, 
for at least six hundred years before the birth of our Saviour, and 
that for the sake of Tin ; — so that the antiquity of our tin trade 
has been established upon mercantile principles for not less than 
twenty-four centuries. But in the earlier ages this metal was all 
procured from Stream Works, the method of working mines not 
having been known and practised for more than seven hundred 
years. - 

M 



178 The Manner of working 

decide by juries of six persons, with a progres- 
sive appeal to the Lord Warden, and Lords of 
the Duke of Cornwall's council ; no custom, 
however, or ancient law. prevails as to the work- 
ing of Copper or Lead in the Stannaries, and 
therefore all agreements are made upon such 
terms as are decided on by the contracting 
parties. 

At present the greatest metallic product of the 
county is Copper,* although this metal is, com- 
paratively of modern discovery, and has not 
been worked longer than a century. The reason 
assigned for its having so long remained con- 
cealed is the assumed fact, that Copper generally 
occurs at a much greater depth than Tin, and 
that, consequently, the ancients for want of 
proper machinery to drain off the water were 
compelled to relinquish the metallic vein before 
they reached the Copper ; it is stated by Pryce, 
in his Miner alogia Cornubiensis, as a general 
rule, that Tin seldom continued rich and worth 
working lower than 50 fathoms ; but of late years 
the richest Tin mines in Cornwall have been 

* In the year 1822, the produce of the Copper mines in Corn- 
wall amounted to 106,723 tons of ore, which produced 9,331 tons 
in Copper, and .£676,285 in money. Whereas the quantity of Tin 
Ore raised did not exceed 20,000 tons. 






the Cornish Mines. 179 

much deeper. Trevenen Mine was 150, — Itewas 
Downs 140, — Poldice 120, and Huel Vor is now 
upwards of 1 30 fathoms in depth. 

Upon the first discovery of Copper ore, the 
miner to whom its nature was entirely unknown, 
gave it the name of Poder ; and it will hardly 
be credited in these times, when it is stated, that 
he regarded it not only as useless, but upon its 
appearance was actually induced to abandon the 
mine, the common expression upon such an 
occasion was, that " the ore came in and spoilt 
the Tin* About the year 1735, Mr. Coster, a 
mineralogist of Bristol, observed this said Poder 
among the heaps of rubbish, and seeing that the 
miners were wholly unacquainted with its value, 
he formed the design of converting it to his own 
advantage ; he accordingly entered into a con- 
tract to purchase as much of it as could be sup- 
plied. The scheme succeeded, and Coster long 
continued to profit by Cornish ignorance. 

The mines in the county of Cornwall consist 
chiefly of Tin and Copper, besides which there 



* The Saxon Miners formerly regarded Cobalt in the same way. 
They considered it so troublesome when they found it among other 
ores, that a prayer was used in the German Church, that God 
would preserve Miners from Cobalt, and from Spirits. 

M 2 



180 The Manner of working 

are some which yield Lead*, Cobalt,t and 
Silver.^ The ores are in veins which are pro-, 
vincially termed Lodes, the most important of 
which run in an east and west direction ; during 
their course they vary considerably in width, 
from that of a barley-corn to 36 feet ; || the aver- 
age may be stated at from one to four feet. It 
is, however, by no means regular, the same lode 
will vary in size from six inches to two feet, in 
the space of a few fathoms. No instance has yet 
occurred of lodes having been cut out in depth ; 
the deepest mine now at work is Dolcoath, which 

* Lead is principally found in cross courses, or north and south 
veins. Pentire Glaze, near Padstow, which has lately produced 
the finest cabinet specimens of Carbonate of Lead, ever found in 
this country ; and Huel Golding in Perranzabuloe, are the principal 
mines in which the Lead occurs in cross courses. Lately, how- 
ever, East and West Lodes of Lead have been discovered in the 
Parish of Newlyn, by Sir C. Hawkins, in draining a marsh. They 
are about two feet wide. Besides the Lead and a little quartz, they 
consist entirely of Clay ; neither Copper nor Tin have been seen in 
them. The Lead yields about Sixty Ounces of Silver per Ton. 

t Cobalt. Huel Sparnon Tin and Copper Mine in the Parish of 
Redruth, is the only mine in the county that ever produced any 
considerable quantity of Cobalt; one fragment raised from it 
weighed 1333 lbs. 

J Silver. In the Copper Lode of Huel Ann, there occurred a 
distinct vein of black and grey Silver ore, with Native Silver, from 
two to five inches wide with a wall of Quartz, on each side. It 
was however very short. See Mr. Carne's paper on the Silver 
Mines of Cornwall, Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of 
Cornwall, vol. i. p. 118. 

|| Only one Lode in Cornwall has, however, been found of this 
size, and that only for the length of 20 fathoms in Relistian. In 
Jsfangiles the lode is, in some parts, 30 feet wide. 






the Cornish Mines. 181 

is about 235 fathoms from the surface to the 
lowest part.* Crenver and Oatfield have lately 
been stopped ; they were 240 fathoms deep. The 
rocks through which the lodes descend are of 
different kinds, thus are Copper and Tin found 
in granite j as well as in slated The Tin in these 
veins J generally occurs in the state of an oxide; 
the only Copper ore of any consequence is Cop- 
per Pyrites, or Sulphuret of Copper; the arscn- 
iates, carbonates, &c. being too small in quantity 
to be of any importance in a mining point of 
view. Iron and Arsenical Pyrites are also very 
common attendants, and are both confounded 
under the name of Mundic. Besides the metal- 
liferous veins which run easterly and westerly, 
we have already stated that there are others, not 
generally containing ore, which maintain a direc- 
tion from North to South, and on that account 
are called cross courses, and often prove to the 
miner a great source of trouble and vexation ; 

* As the Counting House of Dolcoath has been determined to 
be 360 feet above the level of the sea, the mine extends 1050 feet 
below it; which is probably deeper under the sea level than any 
mine in the globe. 

+ Clay Slate is provincially called Killas; and Porphyry is 
known by the name of Elvan. 

X For a full account of this subject, the reader must consult 
Mr. Carne's laborious paper, " On the Veins of Cornwall" in the 
2nd Volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society 
of Cornwall. 



182 The Manner of working 

for they not only cut through the other veins, 
but frequently alter their position, or heave them, 
as it is termed ; and it is a very curious fact that 
most of the Tin and Copper lodes, thus heaved, 
are shifted in such a manner, as to be generally 
found by turning to the right hand • left handed 
heaves being comparatively rare. In Huel Peever 
this vexatious phenomenon occurred, and it was 
not until after a search of forty years that the 
lode was recovered.* The discovery of metalli- 
ferous veins is effected by various methods, the 
most usual one is by sinking pits to the solid 
rock, and then driving a trench north and south, 
so as to meet with every vein in the tract through 
which it passes; the process is a very ancient 
one, and is termed Costeening.f The operation, 
however, cf opening a new mine from the sur- 
face, or from Grass^ as it is called, is not one 



* We must refer the reader to a Paper, " On the Veins of Corn- 
wall," by W. Phillips, Esq, published in the 2nd vpl. of the 
Transactions of the London Geological Society ; and also to a 
Paper, " On the relative Age of Veins," by Joseph Came, Esq. in 
the 2nd vol. of the Cornish Transactions. 

+ We shall pass over, as being too absurd to require any 
serious refutation, the former belief in the power of the Virgula 
Divinatoria to discover Lodes. A power less poetical but not less 
fabulous then the story of the Virga Fatalis that conducted ^Eneas 
to the Shades. 

J Grass is the technical name for the surface on all occasions. 



the Cornish Mines. 183 

of frequent occurrence.* The reworking of 
mines which have been formerly abandoned, on 
account of the produce being insufficient to pay 
the costs, from the fall of the standard price of 
ore, is quite sufficient to absorb all the specu* 
lative spirit of the country. 

But by whatever accident or method a lode 
may be discovered, the leave of the proprietor of 
the soil must be obtained before any operations 
can be commenced, except in such cases of Tin 
Mines as are anciently embounded according to 
the provisions of the Stannary Laws. The owner 
of the land is technically called the Lord, whose 
share (which is termed his Dish) is generally 
one-sixth, or one - eighth of the profits ; the 
parties who engage to work the mine are called 
Adventurers, their shares depending upon their 
original contributions and agreements. 

When it has been determined to work a mine, 
three material points are to be considered ; viz. 
the discharge of the water, — the removal of the 
barren rock and rubbish (deads), — and the raising 
of the ore. One of the first objects, therefore, is 
to cut an Adit,i as it is called, which in an in* 



* The great Copper Mine, called Crennis, was discovered by 
£ome casual observers in the clift'. 
+ From Aditus, a passage ? 



184 The Manner of working 

clined underground passage, about six feet high, 
and 2\ wide, and is generally commenced at the 
bottom of a neighbouring valley, and is driven 
up to the vein, for the purpose of draining it of 
water above their point of contact ; these Adils 
are sometimes continued to a very considerable 
distance, and although the expense of forming 
them is necessarily very considerable, yet they 
are found to afford the most oeconomical method 
of getting rid of the water, in as much as it saves 
the labour of the steam-engine in raising it to 
(Grass) the surface. As soon as the vertical 
aperture, or Shaft, is sunk to some depth, a 
machine called a Whim is erected, to bring up 
the deads, and ore. It consists of a perpendicular 
axis on which a large hollow cylinder of timber, 
termed the Cage, revolves; and around this a 
rope, directed down the Shaft by a pulley, winds 
horizontally. In the axis a transverse beam is 
fixed, at the ends of which two horses are fast- 
ened, and going their rounds haul up a basket 
(or Kibbul) full of ore, or deads, whilst an empty 
one is descending.* As the lode never runs down 
perpendicularly it is necessary to cut galleries, 

* The application of this machine in the county is estimated as 
saving the labour of 10,000 men; whilst the powers of the dif- 
ferent steam-engines are considered as at least equivalent to 40,000 
more. 



the Cornish Mines. 185 

called Levels, horizontally on the vein, one above 
another. These levels are, in the first instance, 
about two feet wide, and six feet high, but vary- 
ing according- to circumstances, and being fre- 
quently extended much beyond their original di- 
mensions. They are driven one above the other 
at intervals of from 10 to 20, or SO fathoms. 
When extended to a certain distance from the 
original vertical Shaft, it is necessary, for the 
sake of ventilation, as well as for other reasons, 
to form a second which is made to traverse all 
the levels in the same manner as the first. A 
communication is frequently only made between 
two galleries by a partial shaft (called a Wins) in 
the interval between the two great shafts. When 
there are more than one lode worked in the same 
mine, as frequently happens, Levels often run 
parallel to each other at the same depth. In this 
case they communicate by intermediate Levels 
driven through the rock (or Country as it is 
called) which are denominated Cross-cuts, A 
mine thus consists of a series of horizontal gal- 
leries, generally one above the other, but some- 
times running parallel, traversed at irregular in- 
tervals by vertical shafts, and all, either directly 
or indirectly, communicating with each other.* 

* See Dr. Forbes' s Paper " On the Temperature of Mines," in 
the second volume of the Transactions of the Cornish Society. 



186 The Descent into a Mine. 

The subterranean excavations are effected by 
breaking down the looser parts by the pickaxe, 
and by blasting the more solid rock by gun- 
powder.* In accomplishing this latter operation 
the most melancholy accidents have occurred, in 
consequence of the iron rammer coming in con- 
tact with some siliceous substance, and thus strik- 
ing fire. The recurrence of this evil it is hoped 
has been prevented by the laudable efforts of the 
Geological Society as above related (see page SO), 
and that the u Iron Age" has taken its final de- 
parture. 

If the traveller is inclined to descend into a 
mine he is to be first accoutred in a flannel 
jacket and trowsers, a close cap, an old broad- 
brimmed hat, and a thick pair of shoes ; a lighted 
candle is put into one hand, and a spare one sus- 
pended to a button of his jacket. The flannel 
dress is worn close to the skin, in order to absorb 
the perspiration, and every part of the ordinary 
dress is laid aside ; thus equipped, if he possess 
sufficient strength of nerve, he may descend the 
vertical ladders with the most perfect ease and 
security ; — but will a view of the mine repay all 
this trouble and fatigue? — let us hear what Dr. 

* The annual cost of gunpowder, used in the mines of the county, 
amounts to more than thirty thousand pounds. 



The Interior of a Mine. 187 

Forbes has said upon this occasion.* " A person 
unacquainted with the details of mining, on being 
informed of many hundreds of men being em- 
ployed in a single mine, might naturally imagine 
that a visit to their deep recesses would afford a 
picturesque and imposing spectacle of gregarious 
labour and bustle, tremendous noise, and much 
artificial brilliancy to cheer the gloom. Nothing, 
however, is further from the truth, as far as re- 
gards the mines of Cornwall ; for, like their fel- 
low labourers the moles, the miners are solitary 
in their operations. Seldom do we find more 
than three or four men in one level, or gallery, at 
a time, where they are seen pursuing the common 
operations of digging or boring the rock, by the 
feeble glimmering of a small candle, stuck close 
by them, with very little noise or much latitude 
for bodily movement; besides whom there are 
generally one or two boys employed in wheeling 
the broken ore, &c. to the shaft. Each of these 
boys has also a candle affixed to his wheelbarrow, 
by the universal subterranean candlestick, a piece 
of clay. A certain band of men, who, however 
numerous, are always called " a Pair" generally 
undertake the working of a particular -Level. 

* Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, 
yol. 2, page 162. 



188 Interior of a Mine. 

These subdivide themselves into smaller bodies, 
which, by relieving each other at the end of every 
six or eight hours, keep up the work uninter- 
ruptedly, except on Sunday. By means of this 
subdivision of the Pairs, there is in general not 
more than one-third of the underground labourers 
below at any one time. Very seldom are the 
miners within the sound of each other's opera- 
tions, except occasionally when they hear the dull 
report of the explosions. In the vicinity of the 
main shaft, indeed, the incessant action of the 
huge chain of pumps, produces a constant, but 
not very loud noise, 'while the occasional rattling 
of the metallic buckets against the walls of the 
shaft, as they ascend and descend, relieves the 
monotony both of the silence and the sound. Still 
every thing is dreary, dull, and cheerless ; and 
you can be with difficulty persuaded, even when 
in the richest and most populous mines, that you 
are in the centre of such extensive and important 
operations." For keeping the workings from 
being inundated, each mine is furnished with a 
chain of pumps, extending from the bottom to 
the adit-level, worked by a single pump-rod ; each 
pump receiving the water brought up by the one 
immediately below it. All the water of the deep- 
est level finds its way into the bottom of the 



Temperature of Mines, 189 

mine, technically called the Sump, whence it is 
finally elevated to the adit, through which it 
flows by a gentle descent to the surface.* 

We have yet to notice a fact connected with 
the natural history of these subterranean recesses, 
which has lately excited a very considerable share 
of interest in the members of the Cornish Geolo- 
gical Society, — that the natural temperature of the 
earth in these mines is considerably above that of 
the mean of the climate, and increases with the 
depth, at the rate of about one degree for every 50 
or 60 feet A Does there exist then a permanent 
source of beat in the interior of the earth ? 

The business of a mine is managed by a fore- 
man, called the Captain, who keeps the accounts, 
and pays and regulates the miners ; there are 
also Under-ground Captains, who have the imme- 
diate inspection of the works below. There exists 
a popular belief that the Cornish miner frequently 
lives under ground for many days, or weeks, 

* The quantity of water discharged by the pumps from many 
of the Cornish mines is very considerable ; thus Huel Abraham 
discharges from the depth of 1440 feet, about 2,092,320 gallons 
every 24 hours; Dolcoath^ from nearly the same depth, 535,173 
gallons in the same time; and Huel Vor, from the depth of 950 
feet, 1,692,660 gallons. 

+ See Dr. Forbes's paper on the temperature of mines, in the 
Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, vol. 2, 
p. 208; also on the temperature of mines, by R.W. Fox, Esq. ibid. 
p. 14, and a paper on the same subject byM. P. Moyle, Esq. p. 404. 



190 The value of Mines, 

without ever visiting the surface. This is never 
the case at any time, or under any circumstances. 
He does not even eat, much less sleep, in the 
mine, but returns to grass, and to his home, often 
many miles distant, at whatever depth he may 
have been working, when relieved from his la- 
bours. 

With respect to the value of the mines, con- 
sidered as property, it may be observed, that 
the whole concern is a Lottery, in which there 
exist many blanks to a prize, and were the whole 
of the speculation to be invested in any one indi- 
vidual, there is no doubt but that, after paying 
the required dues to the lords of the soil, and 
defraying the necessary expenses for working the 
mines, he would at the conclusion of the year 
be a loser by many thousand pounds. It is very 
true that there are many cases of extraordinary 
gain,* but these are balanced by more numerous 
concerns in which loss is incurred. How then 

* Crennis Copper Mine returned a clear profit to the adventu- 
rers of -£84,000 in one year ; and Huel Alfred, during the last 
period of its working, yielded very nearly ;£ 130,000, after having 
defrayed every necessary expense. The adventurers in Huel Vor 
have lately gained ^10,000 in three months. But, on the contrary, 
how numerous are the losses, not perhaps corresponding in mag- 
nitude, in any individual mine, to the gains which have been above 
stated. In North Downs as much as £ 90,000 were lost, but this 
is a rare instance. 



considered as Property. 191 

does it happen that any capitalists can be induced 
to engage in the speculation ? the answer is ob- 
vious, for the very same reason that they are 
induced to purchase tickets in the Sate Lottery. 
There are moreover additional motives which 
induce individuals of a certain description to 
embark in the speculation, although, as simple 
adventurers, they may scarcely anticipate suc- 
cess, such are landholders, who are naturally 
desirous of promoting an undertaking from which 
they must necessarily receive considerable dues; 
or merchants, who by becoming shareholders, 
are empowered to supply the mines with timber, 
candles,* gunpowder, and other articles which 
are required for its working. 

Having thus considered the mode in which the 
ore is excavated from the mine, and brought to 
the surface, let us examine the processes by 
which it ultimately assumes the state of market- 
able metal. 

The Tin ore is first spoiled, as it is termed, 
that is, broken into smaller fragments, and sepa- 
rated from the worthless parts ; it is then pound- 

* The consumption of such articles in a great mine far exceeds 
any estimate which a person unacquainted with mining operations 
could possibly imagine. In Huel Vor, no less than Three thousand 
pounds of candles are consumed in a month, and about Three 
thousand five hundred pounds of Gunpowder. 



•V 



1 92 Stamping — Buddling. 

ed in the Stamping mill,* an operation which is 
essential to the complete separation of the oxide 
from the hard matrix through which it is dis- 
seminated : if full of slime it is first thrown into 
a pit called a huddle, where it is worked in order 
to render the Stamping more free, and to prevent 
it from choaking the grates ; if however it is free 
from slime, the ore is shoveled into a kind of 
sloping canal of timber, called the Pass, whence 
it slides by its own weight, and the assistance of 
a small stream of water, into the box where the 
Lifters work ; the Lifters are raised by a water 
wheel, and they are armed at the bottom with 
large masses of iron weighing nearly two hun- 
dred weight, which pound or stamp the ore small 
enough for its passage through the holes of an 
iron grate fixed in one end of the box, a rill of 
water carries it by a small gutter into the fore 
pit, where it makes its first settlement, the lighter 
particles running forward with the water into 
the middle pit, and thence into the third, where 
what is called the slime, or finest portion, settles ; 
from these pits the ore is carried to the Keeve, 
which is a large vat containing water, in which 

* Before the invention of the Stamping Mill, the Tin was pul- 
verised in a kind of mortar, called a Crazing Mill ; one of which 
ancient machines is still in the possession of Mr. Williams of Scor- 
rier House. 



Tozing, and other processes. 193 

it is farther purified by an operation called tozing, 
and which consists in stirring the water round 
by means of a small shovel, with such velocity 
as to keep the tin stuff in a state of suspension, 
until the whole quantity which can be managed 
by one operation is thrown into the vat, and when 
the Tozer slackens his efforts, the Tin subsides 
to the bottom, from its greater specific gravity, 
leaving the sand and other impurities at the top ; 
while this is going on the upper part of the ves- 
sel is beaten with mallets for some minutes, in 
order more effectually to ensure this separation. 

A third process still remains to be described, 
that of Dressing the sand on an inclined plain 
with the assistance of a small stream of water; a 
great degree of manual dexterity is here requi- 
site; the object, however, is effected with less 
trouble and expense, and much more completely, 
by the German "Repercussion Frames," of which 
there is a model in the Geological Museum at 
Penzance. 

Upon the same mechanical principle of separa- 
tion, founded on the relative specific gravities of 
the Tin oxide, and the earthy matters with which 
it may be mixed, the Tinner is at once enabled 
to estimate the value of any given sample of ore; 
for which purpose the Tin stuff is placed on a 



194 The Burning House, 

shovel, and washed under a stream of water, 
until the impure earthy particles are carried off 
from its sides, when by a peculiar and dextrous 
motion, not easily described, all the particles of 
the ore are collected together on the fore part of 
the shovel. This operation is called Vanning, 

When the Tin ore is contaminated with Mundic, 
that is, with Arsenical and Iron Pyrites, it is first 
roasted in the Burning House, and then washed; 
by which means the Tin, which is heavy, is easily 
separated from the other ores, which are compara- 
tively light. If any Sulphuret of Copper be pre- 
sent, the same process is calculated to separate 
it, by thus converting it into a Sulphate,* as 
described at page 128. 

When the ore is dressed, the lord of the soil 
receives that portion which is his due, after which 
it is divided into as many doles or shares > as there 
are adventurers ; and these are measured out by 
barrows, an account of which is kept, in the man- 
ner of the old times, by a person who notches a 
stick. 

The manner of dressing and cleansing Copper 

* This process might be more generally employed in Cornwall 
with much advantage. The green coloured water which so fre- 
quently issues from the adits, might be made to yield a consider- 
able portion of Copper, if it were properly received in pits, and 
submitted to the action of Iron. 



The Standard Barrow. 195 

ore is nearly similar to that of Tin, except indeed 
that as it is raised in large masses, and is tolera- 
bly pure, it does not generally require Stamping, 
nor much washing. 

All these different processes furnish employ- 
ment for a great number of women and children, 
and it is really interesting to see the dexterity 
and cheerfulness with which they pursue the oc- 
cupation. There is, however, one practice which 
ousrht to be reformed — the burthen of the Stand- 
ard Barrow used in carrying Copper, and which is 
said to contain three hundred weight ; in addition 
to which we must allow for the weight of the 
barrow itself, and that of the water held by the 
recently washed ore, so that it cannot be esti- 
mated at less than four hundred weight. This is 
an enormous burthen, which is borne by all de- 
scriptions of persons who are employed in dress- 
ing and weighing, and it has given rise to many 
evils. 

Those who work below have generally a 
wretched and emaciated appearance, although 
they seldom continue longer under ground than 
six hours in the twenty-four, but are relieved by 
a fresh corps. Pulmonary consumption may be 
said to be the disease to which they are more 
particularly liable. 

n2 



196 Names of the Cornish Mines. 

The names by which the Cornish mines are 
distinguished are usually invented by the first 
adventurers, and are often whimsical enough, 
the usual prefix, Huel, (always pronounced, and 
generally erroneously spelt, Wheel) signifies in 
the Cornish language a hole; while the specific 
name of the mine is taken from some trivial or 
accidental circumstance, thus Dolcoath was the 
name of an old woman, Dorothy Koath, who lived 
upon the spot where the working of the mine 
commenced ; Huel Providence was so called from 
the accidental way in which it was discovered ; 
and Huel Boys from the lode having been first 
noticed by children who had been playing, and 
digging pits in imitation of shafts. 

By a rough calculation it may be stated that 
there are about ISO mines in the county, but the 
number is of course subject to variation; old 
workings being frequently given up, and new 
mines opened, or forsaken ones resumed. 

Besides the mines, there are also " Stream 
Works" which afford a large quantity of the 
purest oxide.* They occur in vallies, and derive 
their name from the manner in which they are 
worked ; which merely consists in washing the 

* Stream Tin, on account of its purity, is alone capable of fur- 
nishing the grain tin, employed principally by dyers. 



Stream Works.— Native Gold. 197 

alluvia] soil by directing- a stream of water over 
it, when the finer particles being washed away, 
the Tin ore is procured in a separate form.* The 
process is termed Streaming for Tin. It is a 
singular fact that the only traces of Gold to be 
found in Cornwallt are in these alluvial deposi- 
tions, in which it sometimes occurs in small 
grains, mostly detached, but occasionally ad- 
hering to quartz. The miners engaged in the 
stream works are generally prepared with quills, 
into which they drop these particles as they find 
them, and when the quill is full, it is carried to 
the goldsmith for sale, and considered as a per- 
quisite. 



* The principal Stream works are in the parishes of Lanlivery, 
Luxilian, St. Blazy, St. Austel, St. Mewan, St. Stephens, and St. 
Columb. The greatest Stream work in the county is at Carnon, 
about half-way between Truro and Penrhyn; but there is scarcely 
a valley in which the operation has not been conducted on a small 
scale. 

+ In the Ordnance Map of Cornwall, a spot marked " the 
Gold Mine" is noticed, near Liskeard. This name serves only 
to commemorate one of the many ruinous speculations into which 
the inhabitants of this County have repeatedly fallen, from a want 
of mineralogical knowledge. A mass of Pyrites having been dis- 
covered in this place, its brilliancy induced a belief that it was 
Gold, in consequence of which workings were immediately com- 
menced, and the sanguine adventurers, urged forward no doubt 
by those who derived an interest from the undertaking, could not 
be convinced of their error, until the complete ruin of their for-* 
tunes obliged them to abandon every hope. 



1 98 Clowance. — Pendarves. — Tehidy. 

But it is time for us to resume our topographi- 
cal descriptions — 

In our road to Redruth we pass Clowance the 
seat of Sir John St. Aubyn, Baronet. Pendarves 
the residence of Edward William Wynne Pen- 
darves, Esq. son of the late John Stackhouse, 
Esq. the elegant author of u Nereis Britannica" 
and Tehidy Park, the mansion of Francis Bas- 
set, Lord de Dunstanville, &c. 

About two miles west of Redruth, is Dol- 
coath, a copper mine which every intelligent 
traveller ought to visit, not only on account of 
the immensity of the concern, and the ability and 
liberality with which it is conducted, but be- 
cause it is so situated on the brow of a hill, that 
the spectator can at one glance see all the prin- 
cipal machinery by which it is worked. It is 
quite impossibe to convey an idea of this singu- 
lar and interesting scene ; — Steam Engines ; — 
Water Wheels; — Horse Whims; — Stamping 
Mills, — are all in motion before us, while in the 
glen beneath us many hundred labourers are to 
be seen busily engaged in the different operations 
of separating, dressing, and carrying the ore. 
The same stream of water pouring down the 
hill turns successively numerous overshot wheels, 
and serves various other purposes in its course; 



The Mines of Dolcoath and Cook's Kitchen. 1 99 

and, having* thus performed upon the surface, 
all that ingenuity could devise, or the operations 
of mining require, it is conducted into the bowels 
of the earth, where, at a hundred and fifty feet 
beneath its surface, it again turns an overshot 
wheel of fifty feet in diameter, and becomes 
again subservient to the skilful exertions of the 
miner. In the whole circle of human inventions 
there is nothing which so fully manifests the 
resources of intellect, for the production of im- 
mense effects, as the stupendous art of mining; 
and it is impossible that the workings of Dol- 
coath can be viewed without the strongest sensa- 
tion of wonder and exultation. The works of 
the mine stretch upwards of a mile in length 
from east to west ; an extent of ground pene- 
trated by innumerable shafts, and honey-combed 
by subterranean galleries. Upon the summit of 
the hill is another rich copper mine, Cook's 
Kitchen, which is on the same suite of lodes as 
Dolcoath, but separated by a cross-course which 
forms a natural boundary to both. This cross- 
course has so heaved the lodes, that many which 
are worked with great profit in the former mine 
cannot be discovered in the latter, notwithstand* 
ing the laborious search which has been made 
for that purpose. 



200 Redruth.*— Chacewater Mine. 

The picturesque effect of this scenery is not a 
little heightened by the bold elevation of Carn- 
breh Hill, which, crowned with the mouldering 
remains of past ages, rises, as if in mockery of 
the boasted prowess of art, and forms a most 
striking and impressive contrast to the active 
scene before us. 

Redruth is a very populous town of high 
antiquity, situated in the bosom of the mining 
district, and capable of affording very excellent 
accommodation to the mineralogist who may be 
desirous of remaining some days for the purpose 
of inspecting, at his leisure, the numerous mines 
by which it is surrounded. The general level of 
this metalliferous district is from 350 to 450 feet 
above the sea ; and being frequently intersected 
by vallies, great opportunities are presented for 
the advantageous construction of Adits. 

We next proceed to visit the great Steam- 
Engine of Chacewater mine, situated three 
miles south of Redruth. It was erected about 
the year 1813, and was at that period the most 
powerful machine in the world. It is a double 
engine upon the improved principle of Bolton 
and Watt, and the style and elegance with which 
its different parts are finished, reflect no incon- 
siderable credit upon the engineer. The follow* 



The Great Steam Engine. 201 

ing are its dimensions; the cylinder is 66 inches, 
the box 19, in diameter. The depth of the en- 
gine shaft is 128 fathoms. From the Adit to the 
bottom 90 fathoms. It makes eight strokes in a 
minute, and at every stroke it raises 108 gallons 
of water to the Adit;* and, at the same time 
also, 60 gallons, 10 fathoms high, for the purpose 
of condensing the steam. The quantity of coals 
consumed in twenty-four hours is estimated at 
about eight chaldrons. To give at once a popu- 
lar idea of its immense power, it may be stated 
that, if it were applied as a mill, it could grind a 
Winchester bushel of wheat every minute. Not- 
withstanding the immensity of its force, and com- 
plexity of parts, so completely is it under the 
discretion and guidance of the engineer, that in 
one instant he is able to stop its motions by the 
mere application of his finger and thumb to a 
screw. — " We put a hook in the nose of the 
Leviathian ; — play with him as a child, and take 
him as a servant for ever." 

From Chacewater we proceed southward about 

* This is the deepest Adit in the country ; its mouth or ex- 
tremity being nearly on a level with the water in one of the creeks 
of Falmouth Harbour, into which it empties itself. Taking into 
calculation its various windings, through the numerous mines 
which it relieves of water, it may be said to be not less than 
twenty-four miles in length. 



202 The Consolidated Mines. — Huel Unity. 

two miles to visit the extensive Copper mines, 
called " The Consolidated Mines" the working of 
which has been lately resumed. Here we shall find 
two immense Steam Engines, with cylinders of 
90 inches in diameter, constantly at work ; the 
interior of which is kept as clean as a drawing- 
room. The capital expended in setting these 
mines at work was not less than ^65,000, and 
under the arrangement of Mr. William Davey, 
the concern has proved so profitable, that shares 
are now selling in London at ^£100 per cent, 
profit. 

Near the Consolidated Mines are Huel Unity 
and Poldice ; the former is a Copper mine ; the 
latter produces both Copper and Tin. The most 
beautiful specimens of Arseniate of Copper, and 
Arseniate of Lead have been found in these 
mines. 

Having concluded our account of the mining- 
district, it remains for us to offer to the minera- 
logical tourist a few observations upon the sub- 
ject of Cornish Minerals, and upon the best 
method of procuring them ; before the stranger, 
however, attempts to purchase any specimens, 
it will be well for him to inspect the several 
splendid cabinets in the county; besides that in 
the museum of the Royal Geological Society, 



Provincial Cabinets of Minerals. 203 

at Penzance, he should see those in the posses- 
sion of William Rashleigh, Esq. M. P. of Men- 
abilly ;* John Williams, Esq. of Scorrier House, 
and Joseph Carne, Esq. of Penzance. The one 
in possession of Mr. Rashleigh, if not the most 
accessible to the mineralogist, must be confessed 
to be without comparison, the most splendid. Its 
chief excellence consists in the magnificence and 
variety of the Oxide of Tin,\ Fluors, Malachite, 
and some of the rarer varieties of Sulphuret of 
Copper, from mines which have long since ceased 
to be worked. Among the more remarkable 
specimens are those of Oxide of Tin (from Saint 
Agnes) some of the more interesting varieties of 
which present the following forms,~-very large 
octohedrons with, and without, truncations;— 
the crystal described by Klaproth as one of the 
rarest occurrence, viz. — the four-sided prism, 
with a four-sided pyramid at each extremity ; 
this is to be seen in its simple form, and also 
with a rich variety of truncations; — a group of 
four-sided pyramids covered with a thin coating 

* Menabilly is situated about four miles west of Fowey, on an 
eminence at a short distance from the sea. 

+ We have been told that this has been arranged by Mr. Aikin, 
according to the different modifications of its crystalline form, as 
they are described by Mr. William Phillips in his elaborate paper 
published in the 2nd Vol. of the Transactions of the London 
Geological Society. 



204 Mr. Rashleigfis Collection 

of Calcedony, which, being hydrophanous, shews 
the form of the crystal very distinctly after im- 
mersion in water ; Wood-tin forming a vein in 
a matrix of quartz, to one side of which adheres 
a fragment of rock; it is hardly necessary to re- 
mind the mineralogist of the importance of this 
specimen in a geognostic point of view 5* Tin 
crystals having a coating of black hcematite; 
Sulphuret of Tin, a mineral which has never 
been found in any part of the world except at 
Huel Rock, in Saint Agnes, Stenna-gwyn, in 
Saint Stephen's, and Huel Scorrier in Gwen- 
nap.T In the collection of Tins may be seen 
several small blocks { of that metal, as prepared 
by the Jews, for commerce, during the early 
workings of the Cornish mines, among which is 
a fraudulent one consisting of a mass of stone 
covered with a thin coating of metal. In the 
collection of Coppers may be noticed Yellow 



* See an interesting account of this mineral in a notice entitled 
" Contributions towards a knowledge of the Geological History 
of Wood-Tin, by A. Majendie, Esq." in the first volume of the 
Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. 

+ Since the first edition of this work was printed, the mineral 
has been found at Saint Michael's Mount, and, by Dr. Boase, 
amongst a pile of ore which was supposed to come from Botal- 
lack. 

^ In one of which is to be seen the Muriate of Tin, as first 
noticed by the late Reverend William Gregor. 



of Minerals at Menabilly. 205 

Copper ore with Opal (from Roskeir) ; the triple 
Sulphur et of Antimony, Copper, and Lead in 
various forms ; Ruby Copper in cubes ; Quartz 
containing globules of water ; the Hydrargyllite 
or Wavellite, in a plumose form accompanied by 
Apatite in a matrix of Quartz (from Saint 
Stephen's), Topazes of considerable lustre (from 
Saint Agnes), Green Fluor in crystals of twenty- 
four sides (Saint Agnes). A most beautiful and 
instructive cube of Fluor, the surface of which 
reflects a delicate green hue, but upon being held 
to the light the crystal exhibits its octohedral nu- 
cleus of a purple colour. The mineralogist should 
also notice a superb octohedron of Gold, and a 
mass of Stalactitical Arragonite from the grotto of 
Antiparos. Before quitting Menabilly he ought to 
visit the grotto, built in a beautiful and secluded 
part of the grounds, near the shore in the port 
of Polredmouth. It stands at the extremity of a 
large grove, and is constructed with the finest 
species of marble and serpentine, with brilliant 
crystals, pebbles, and shells ; its form is that 
of an octagon, two of the sides of which are 
appropriated to the door and window which 
front each other, while the six remaining sides 
form receptacles for minerals, four of which con- 
tain specimens of ores found in the county, and 



206 Mineralogical Cabinet of 

two are filled with organic fossils, polished agates, 
and jaspers; the intermediate spaces are occupied 
by shells, coralloids, and various other substances. 
The roof is composed of Stalactites of singular 
beauty, and which produce a very striking effect 
as they are seen through the roughly formed 
arch which composes the entrance. In this grotto 
are preserved two links of the chain which were 
found in Fowey harbour by some fishermen in 
the year 1776; they are of a triangular form, 
incrusted with shells and corals, and are sup- 
posed to have formed a part of the chain which 
extended from tower to tower, for the ancient 
defence of the harbour. Among the mineralogi- 
cal specimens in this place there is one of Calce- 
dony which deserves particular notice for its 
beauty as well as magnitude. In the centre of 
the grotto is a table inlaid with thirty-two po- 
lished specimens of granite, all found in the 
county of Cornwall. 

The Cabinet of John Williams, Esq. is 
at Scorrier House, about two miles east of Red- 
ruth, and may therefore be visited by the mine- 
ralogist in the present excursion. This collection 
stands unrivalled in the magnificence of its spe- 
cimens of Red Oxide of Copper, in octohedrons, 
cubes, and capillary crystals ; it also contains the 



John Williams, Esq, of Scorrier. 207 

finest specimens of Arseniate of Copper in very- 
perfect obtuse octohedrons ; — a mass of Uranite, 
which in size and beauty is superior to any speci- 
mens ever discovered; — Blende, in octohedrons 
and cubes; — Native, and Ruby Silver; and a 
specimen of the Muriate of that metal {Horn 
Silver) so well known for its value, that it may 
be said to constitute one of the most interesting 
objects in the collection. The Arseniate ofLead^ 
in six-sided prisms, a most beautiful mineral, 
which was first analysed by Mr. Gregor, and has 
been found only in Huel Unity, may be seen 
in this cabinet in its most perfect forms. 

The collection of Mr. Carne has been already 
noticed in our account of Penzance, at page 31. 

In order to collect the various minerals of the 
county the stranger must apply to the different 
dealers,* {rapax et sordidum pecus) and make the 
best bargain he is able ; he may also occasionally 
purchase some good specimens of the miners at 
the various mines he may happen to visit. In 
his rambles we recommend him to visit Saint 



* The following are the names of the respectable dealers to 
whom we recommend the mineralogist to apply, — At Truro, Tre- 
goning, Mudge, and Heard ; — at Redruth, Bennett ; at Gtcenap, 
Michell ; — at Saint Agnes, Argall ; — at Falmouth, Trathan ; — and 
at Penzance, Jacobs, the latter of whom has generally a great 
variety of Saint Just minerals on sale. 



208 Saint Agnes — Carn-breh Hill 

Agnes, where are the Trevaunance, and Seal 
Hole mines, from which have been raised the 
most beautiful specimens of crystallized Tin in 
the world, accompanied occasionally with To- 
pazes, and twenty-four-sided Fluor. Here too 
may be seen a geological phenomenon of con- 
siderable interest, — the slate of the coast inter- 
sected with Porphyry Dykes. Saint Agnes' 
Beacon is also well worthy of observation ; it is 
an insulated eminence of a pyramidal form, en- 
tirely covered with debris, and is composed of 
Slate, although it rises 664t feet above the level 
of the sea. Saint Agnes is the birth place of the 
celebrated artist Op IE,* and the tourist may be 
gratified by inspecting many of the earlier pro- 
ductions of his pencil. But we now take our 
leave of the Mineralogist, and shall attend the 
Antiquary in order to inspect Carn-breh hill, 
which rises a little to the south-west of Redruth, to 
an elevation of 697 feet; its principal interest is 

* Opie was a parish apprentice to a person of the name of 
Wheeler, a house carpenter, in the village of Saint Agnes ; Dr. 
Walcott, better known by his poetical appellation of Peter Pin- 
dar, having been struck, during his occasional visits to the village, 
by some rude sketches in chalk which were shewn him as the 
productions of this poor lad, invited him to his house at Truro, 
supplied him with the necessary materials, and enabled him to set 
up as an itinerant portrait painter, from which station he rose to 
be Professor of Painting to the Royal Academy. 



Supposed Druidical Monuments. 209 

derived from the lucubrations of Dr. Borlase, 
who regarded it as having been the grand centre 
of Druidical worship, and he asserts that, in his 
time, the remains of the monuments which were 
peculiar to that priesthood were to be easily 
recognized, such as Rock Basins ; Circles ; Crom- 
lechs ; Rock Idols ; Karns ; Caves ; religious en~ 
closures ; Logan Stones ; a Gorseddau, or place 
of elevation, whence the Druids pronounced their 
decrees ; and the traces of a Grove of Oaks ! — 
this is all very ingenious and imposing, but is 
there any rational testimony in support of such 
an hypothesis? are there any just grounds for 
considering the objects to which he alludes as the 
works of art? — most certainly none, they are 
unquestionably the results of the operation of 
time and the elements, and have never been 
formed by any agents except those which Nature 
employs in the decomposition of granitic masses; 
but the age of Antiquarian illusion is past; the 
light of geological science dispels the phantoms 
which the wizard fancy had created, just as the 
rising sun dissolves the mystic forms which the 
most common object assumes in twilight, when 
viewed through the medium of credulity and su- 
perstition. The rock basins of Antiquaries are 
rounded cavities on the surface of rocks, and are 
o 



210 Geological explanation of 

occasionally as spheroidal, internally, as if they 
had been actually shaped by a turning lathe ; 
it was this artificial appearance which first sug- 
gested the hypothesis concerning their origin, 
and induced the Antiquary to regard them as 
pools of lustration. Dr. Mac Culloch,* however, 
very justly observes, that their true nature is 
very easily traced by inspecting the rocks them- 
selves; on examining the excavations they will 
be always found to contain distinct grains of 
Quartz, and fragments of the other constituent 
parts of the granite ; a small force is sufficient to 
detach from the sides of these cavities additional 
fragments, shewing beyond doubt, that a process 
of decomposition is still going on under favour- 
able circumstances ; these circumstances are the 
presence of water, or rather the alternate action 
of air and moisture ; if a drop of water can only 
make an effectual lodgement on a surface of this 
granite a small cavity must be sooner or later 
produced, this insensibly enlarges as it becomes 
capable of holding more water, and the sides as 
they continue to waste necessarily retain an even 
and rounded cavity, on account of the uniform 

* A highly interesting paper " On the decomposition of the 
Granite Tors of Cornwall," by this geologist, is published in the 
second volume of the Transactions of the Geological Society of 
London. 



the Grotesque Appearance of the Rocks, 21 1 

texture of the granite. This explanation is suf- 
ficiently satisfactory ; in addition to which it may 
be further stated, that these very basins not un- 
frequently occur on the perpendicular sides of 
rocks,* which at once excludes the idea of their 
artificial origin. 

The other grotesque and whimsical appearances 
of rocky masses, such as " rock idols, logan stones," 
&c. are to be explained upon the tendency which 
granite possesses of wearing more rapidly on the 
parts which are most exposed to the action of 
the weather, as already explained at page 104. 
There occurs upon the western part of the ridge 
of Carn-brth an equipoised stone, about 20 feet 
in diameter, affording a very singular illustration 
of these views, and of which we shall here pre- 
sent a sketch to our readers. 




* This may be distinctly seen in the granitic rocks in the islands 
ofScillv: and in the Gritstone in the park of the late Sir Joseph 
Banks, in the parish of Ashover in Derbyshire. 

o2 



212 Cleavelandite — Carnbreh Castle, 

Thus upon simple and philosophical principles 
are such appearances to be easily explained, and 
this Phantasmagoria of the learned antiquary 
vanishes. 

For the information of the Geologist who may 
visit this spot, we shall state, that in a porphyritic 
granite on the summit, Mr. W. Phillips has 
lately discovered that some of the crystals for- 
merly considered as Felspar, were Cleavelandite ;* 
and we have little doubt that this curious dis- 
covery might be extended to many of the granitic 
masses in Western Cornwall. 

At the eastern end of the hill is Carn-breh 
Castle ; the rocks upon which this building stands, 
not being contiguous, are connected by arches 
turned over the cavities ; one part of the fortress 
pierced with loopholes is evidently very ancient, 
and is supposed to have been of British work; 
the other is of modern construction, and was 
probably erected as an ornamental object from 
the grounds of Tehidy. There were formerly 

* The only chemical difference between Cleavelandite and Fel- 
spar is, that about 12 per cent, of Potass in the latter is replaced 
by an equal quantity of Soda in the former. The earthy ingre- 
dients in both minerals are the same, and exist in similar propor- 
tions. The primary form of each is a doubly oblique prism, but 
the two prisms differ so essentially from each other in the measure- 
ment of their angles, that the substances are easily distinguished 
from each other by the Goniometer. 



Desolation of the Spot. 213 

some outworks to the north-west ; and, near the 
summit of the hill is a circular fortification called 
the Old Castle, which appears to have been in- 
cluded within a strong wall. The hill itself, on 
which the spectator stands, is quite in unison 
with the scene around him; its silence and de- 
solation, — the awful vestiges of its convulsion, — 
and the immense rocky fragments which lie scat- 
tered on its brow, are well calculated to harmo- 
nize with an extended and barren tract of coun- 
try, every where broken up by mining operations, 
and whose horizon is bounded by the ocean. 



2M To Kynance Cove, and the Lizard Point. 



EXCURSION VI. 



TO KYNANCE COVE, AND THE LIZARD POINT. 



An excursion to the peninsula of the Lizard 
offers to the scientific traveller many objects of 
great geological interest ; he will be enabled to 
examine a very rare and important series of Rock 
Formations, while their various gradations and 
transitions into each other will afford ample ma- 
terials for speculation. In the course of this 
excursion it will be our duty to point out some 
of the more prominent features as they may occur 
in our progress ; but in performing this duty we 
wish to be considered as merely presenting the 
geologist with a i;ough and imperfect outline, 
which may give a useful direction to his re- 
searches, and enable him to acquire, through the 
medium of his own observation, more ample and 
perfect information.* 

* Before his departure upon this excursion, we recommend him 
to examine the very instructive suite of specimens which were col- 



Fundamental Rocks of the Peninsula. 215 

To the country south of a line drawn from the 
mouth of the Helford river, on the east, to the 
Loe-Bar on the west, has the appellation of the 
" IAzard District'''' been exclusively applied by 
Mr. Majendie ; and the division appears to have 
been conventionally received by all the geologists 
who have traced his steps. 

The fundamental rock of this peninsula appears 
to be Clay '-slate •, associated with Greywacke, upon 
which are successively deposited Greenstone, 
Diallage rock, and Serpentine. At Marazion 
several alternate beds of Slate and Greenstone 
may be observed; the latter of which contains 
Asbestus-Actj/nolile, and is universally traversed 
by veins of Axinite,* which occurs both in an 
amorphous and crystalline form. 

lected, and deposited in the Cabinet at Penzance by Mr. Ashhurst 
Majendie, a gentleman whose geological labours in this country- 
are well known, and whose zeal and ability so greatly promoted 
the early advancement of our Geological Society. This valuable 
series has been greatly augmented by a Collection since presented 
to the Society by The Reverend John Rogers. The Geological 
tourist ought at the same time to make himself acquainted with the 
observations of Mr. Majendie « On the Lizard District ," in the first 
volume of the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of 
Cornwall ; and those of Mr. Professor Sedgwick, on the same sub- 
ject, in the Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 
* In the Greeb-rock, an insulated mass of grepnstone in the sea 
beneath, there is a vein of Asbestus-Actynolite, mixed with Axinitt, 
from four to twelve inches wide. This is a curious spot, well 
worthy the attention of the geologist. 



216 Aclon and Pengerswick Castles. 

In the vicinity of a projecting ledge of rocks, 
known by the name of Cuddan Point, stands a 
mansion called Acton Castle, which was erected 
as a marine residence by the late John Stackhouse, 
Esq. and is at present occupied by Capt. Praed. 
Its situation is wild and unsheltered, but it com- 
mands a prospect of very extraordinary grandeur 
and beauty. 

About four miles from Marazion, and half a 
mile from the high road towards the coast, are 
the remains of a building called Pengerswick 
Castle, a square stone tower, with a smaller one 
annexed, and some ruins of walls, are all that 
remain of this ancient edifice, but its machiolated 
gate and embattled turrets are still preserved to 
announce its military origin. The different 
rooms are now converted into granaries, but the 
oak wainscot, which is curiously carved and 
painted, remains in a tolerable state of preser- 
vation. On one of these pannels, under a rude 
representation of water dropping from a rock, 
with the title " Perseverance" is the following 
poetical inscription. 

" What thing is harder than a rock ? 

What softer is than water clear ? 
Yet will the same with often drop 

The hard rock pierce, which doth appear, 
Even so there's nothing so hard to attayna 
But may be had with labour and pain." 



Rare Shells. 217 

The classical reader will at once recognise in 
this inscription a paraphrase of the well known 
lines of Ovid : 

'« Quid magis est saxo durum, — Quid mollius unda? 
Dura tamen molli Saxa cavantur Aqua." 

There exists a tradition that this place be- 
longed in the reign of Henry VIII. to one 
Milliton, who having slain a man privately, pur- 
chased the castle in the name of his son, and 
immured himself in a secret chamber in the 
tower. 

On a bold pile of Granite rocks which projects 
from the shore near Pengerswick, Dr. Maton 
observed clusters of Trochus crassus, besides 
some species of Actinia and Asterias, not common 
on other parts of the coast. Pursuing our route 
we pass through a country principally composed 
of Slate, the great Granite chain running to the 
left of the road, and constituting Tregoning, 
Godolphin, and Breage hills. The Signal house 
at the top of Tregoning hill, which is 584 feet 
above the sea, constitutes the most elevated point 
in the country, and from which both channels 
are visible. The granite of this hill bears in 
some parts all the appearance of a stratified 
rock. 



218 Huel For Tin Mine. 

Upon arriving at the village of Breage, three 
miles west of Helston, the traveller should turn 
off from the high road, in order to visit the Tin 
Mine called Huel For, and which lies about a 
mile and a half to the north-east, and is by far 
the largest as well as the richest Tin Mine ever 
worked in Cornwall. Here there are five large 
Steam Engines for drawing the water out of the 
mine, besides several others for raising the ore. 
There are also four large Stamping Mills, work- 
ed by Steam, which constitute by far the most 
interesting part of the machinery. It is not many 
years since steam was first applied as the moving 
power of these mills, but without its aid it would 
have been impossible to stamp the whole of Huel 
For Tin with sufficient expedition. In this mine 
all the operations are carried on which have been 
already described in our excursion to Redruth, 
and the Mining Districts. The ore is also roasted 
and smelted on the spot. Here then the stranger 
may witness the whole process, from the period 
when the ore is broken in the vein, to that when 
the pure Tin runs out of the furnace, and is 
laded into moulds which contain about 370 
pounds. The principal Tin lode in this mine is, 
in one part, of the enormous width of SO feet, 
and is so rich withal, that the adventurers lately 



Portleven Harbour — Hehton. 219 

gained a clear profit of upwards of .€10,000, in 
the space of three months. The workings extend 
for more than a mile and a quarter under ground, 
and about thirteen hundred persons are engaged 
in conducting its operations. 

On the Coast, about three miles west of Hel- 
ston, is Portleven harbour; notwithstanding the 
enormous sum of money which has been expended 
in completing this work, we believe that it is 
never likely to answer the object for which it 
was projected ; the fact is simply this, that at 
those times when the severity of the weather 
renders such a refuge desirable to the navigators 
of the Mount's Bay, the sea sets in with such 
tremendous force upon this part of the coast that 
it is absolutely unsafe for any vessels to approach 
it, and still more so to attempt a passage into the 
basin, through its narrow entrance. 

Helston is a large and populous town, con- 
taining nearly 3000 inhabitants, situated on the 
side of a hill which slopes gradually to the little 
river Cober. The houses are chiefly disposed in 
four streets in the form of a cross, and, at the 
point of intersection, stand the market house and 
town hall. The church, which was erected A.D. 
1762, at the sole expense of the then Earl of 
Godolphin, stands on an eminence to the north, 



An account of the ancient 

and forms a very pleasing object from the valley 
below, while to the tempest tossed mariner it 
serves as a useful landmark. 

Helston has returned members to Parliament 
ever since Edward I., being one of the five 
ancient boroughs of Cornwall. There was for- 
merly a castle, on the site of the present bowling 
green, but of which no vestige remains. The 
town is now lighted by means of gas. 

In this town we shall be gratified to find the 
traces of an ancient custom, which the Antiquary 
has been anxious to trace to so high a source as 
the Roman Floralia, a festival observed by that 
people, in honour of the Goddess Flora, on the 
fourth of the Calends of May. It is called the 
Furry, and it is said that its present name alone 
would discover its origin, were it not satisfac- 
torily pointed out by the time of its celebration. 
We confess ourselves to have been amongst the 
happy number* who regarded the annual festival 
of Helston as a faint trace of the Roman Floralia 
which the abrasion of fourteen centuries had not 
wholly obliterated. But the evil genius of Reality 
has at length appeared to dispel the illusion, 



* As will appear on the perusal of (he first edition of this little 
work. 



Festival, called the Furry. 221 

and to extort from us the unwilling belief that it 
can be no other than the anniversary of a victory, 
obtained by the natives over an invading enemy. 
The morning of the Eighth of May is ushered 
in with the sound of drums and kettles, when the 
streets are soon thronged with spectators, and 
assistants in the Mysteries. So strict is the ob- 
servance of this day as a general holiday, that 
should any person be found at work, he is in- 
stantly seized, set astride on a pole, and hurried 
on men's shoulders to the river, where, if he 
does not commute his punishment by a fine, he is 
sentenced to leap over a wide place, which he of 
course fails in attempting, and falls into the 
water, to the great amusement of the spectators. 
At about the hour of nine the revellers appear 
before the Grammar* school, and make their de- 
mand of a prescriptive holiday, after which they 
collect contributions from house to house. They 
then fade into the country (fade being an old 
English word for go), and about noon return 
with flowers and oak branches in their hats and 
caps ; from this time they dance, hand in hand, 
through the streets, preceded by a violin,* play- 

* A violiu is in some parts of Cornwall called a Crowd, whence 
doubtless the name of Crowdero, the fiddler in Hudibras. 



222 



The Furry -day Tune. 



ing an ancient traditional tune, the music of 
which we shall here introduce. 



^k$sr 



-^rf- 



^#, 



\^^™i\Eix&miE?E*Zimhi£&3 




^terjri^ tt %™^ 



There is also a traditional song which is sung 
in chorus, involving the history of Robin-Hood, 
whose connection with the present festival it is 
not easy to understand. 

Upon this occasion it is a right, assumed from 
time immemorial, for the persons engaged in the 
dance to enter and run through any house they 
please, without molestation. 

The higher classes of the inhabitants having, 
with much good humour, assisted in the rites of 
the day, and performed their exforensic orgies, 
resort to the ball room, where they are usually 
met by the neighbouring families, and by those 
strangers who may happen to be in this part of 
Cornwall. The merry dance is commenced at 



Penrose, the Seat of John Rogers, Esq. 223 

an early hour, and generally protracted to the 
dawn of the ensuing day. 

Long may this harmless and innocent festival 
continue to animate the blythe and young, on 
each annual return of its celebration ; — Its classic 
spell may be dissolved, but the Temple of Hi- 
larity, consecrated by the smiles of Cornish youth 
and beauty, needs not a Roman goddess for its 
sanction. 

Why ask where the Flora derives its gay birth ! 

Why each smiling brow wears its garland to-day ? 
Enough that our sires kept it sacred to mirth, 

And their children have hearts all as fervent as they. 

And yet might we trace where his ashes are laid 
Who first made the Fade to sound in our bowers, 

To-day round his cromlech the dance should we braid, 
And the fairest of Hellas* en wreath it with flowers. 

And hallow'd for aye be their place of repose, 

Who their race have enrich'd with a dowry so rare, 

A spell — that yet brightens each year as it flows 
With one gleam of Eden — a day free from care. 

Then join we the Dance! to their mem'ries of yore, 
Let the mirth which they lov'd be the homage we pay. 

And the strain that inspir'd them long ages before, 
Wake the joys, which they felt, in our bosoms to-day. 

About two miles from Heiston is Penrose, the 
seat of John Rogers, Esq. situated in the midst 
of a finely wooded scene, and on the border of a 

* The ancient name of Heiston. The modern apellation is de- 
rived from a huge block of Granite which may be seen in the yard 
of the Angel Inn — Hellas-stone, or Heiston. 



224 The Loe Pool 

large sheet of water called the Loe Pool; this 
forms one of the most considerable lakes in the 
county, and is produced by a very singular ope- 
ration of nature, — the continual rolling of the 
waves of the British Channel towards the shore 
forces in a vast quantity of sand and pebbles, 
which, by constant accumulation, at length forms 
a very high bank extending across the valley, 
from hill to hill, and by closing up the mouth of 
the channel occasions the river to spread its 
waters over an area of nearly seven miles in cir- 
cumference. This bar of gravel cannot be passed 
over by the wa\es of the highest tides, even 
during the excitement of a storm, unless it be 
attended with a very rare combination of circum- 
stances. The water of the lake gradually finds 
its way through the gravel of the bar by slow 
filtration ; but in wet seasons, as it cannot pass off 
with a rapidity equal to its influx, the lake will 
often rise ten feet higher than its ordinary level. 
This produces the singular effect of stopping two 
mills, one on the Loe, the other on a lateral 
stream, their wheels being at this time partly un- 
der water. When this occurs the millers present 
the Lord of the Manor with two leathern purses, 
each containing three halfpence, and solicit his 
permission to open a passage through the bar. 



Loe Pool. — Terrace of the Lizard. 225 

This being of course granted, the Mayor of Hel- 
ston engages workmen to carry the work into! 
effect. In a few days, however, the bar is again 
filled up as before. 

The Loe Pool abounds with a peculiar trout, 
and other fresh- water fish. On its banks the 
Botanist may gather Corrigiola Littoralis. 

In proceeding to the Lizard Point, which is 
about fourteen miles distant from Helston, we 
shall examine the line of coast south of the Loe 
bar. The interior of this peninsular region has 
an aspect of dreary and barren uniformity, and 
when viewed from the high granite ridge near 
Constantine, it appears like a table land elevated 
some hundred feet above the level of the sea, 
presenting hardly any indication of rupture or 
contortion throughout the whole extent of its 
outline. The view of the same region from the 
western shore of the Mount's Bay is still more 
striking and characteristic ; the upper surface 
seems so exactly horizontal, that one might al- 
most be led to conjecture, that every projecting 
ledge had been planed down until the promon- 
tory resembled a great artificial terrace.* 



* On the physical structure of the Lizard district, by the Rev. 
A Sedgwick. 



226 Geohgitnl Account 

Near Gunwalloe Cove the geologist should no- 
tice the singularly contorted appearance of the 
slaty rock, which continues as far as a small cove 
north of Mullion, called Bolerium, where it 
runs under a Greenstone composed of Hornblende 
and Compact Felspar. The Greenstone prevails 
through the whole of this district, and appears to 
pass by a slow gradation into Serpentine, under 
which it lies, as may be distinctly seen near the 
south side of Mullion Cove.* A small quantity 
of Diallage is occasionally present in this rock, 
but the predominant ingredient is common Horn- 
blende; and where this latter substance greatly 
predominates over the Felspar, it in some places 
assumes an earthy appearance and decomposes 
into a kind of Clay, which is used in the neigh- 
bourhood with excellent effect as a top dressing 
for grass lands. 

Serpentine is the next formation which we dis- 
cover in our progress, and is that which confers 
such singular interest upon this part of the coun- 
ty, since it occurs in no other part of England. 
This beautiful rock derives its name from the 
variegated colours and spots, supposed to resem- 

* The same relative position of these rocks may also be observed 
at Cadgwith, an interesting part of the coast north-east of the Lizard 
Point, and which we shall have occasion to notice hereafter. 



of the Lizard District. 227 

ble the speckles of a serpent's skin ; it is prin- 
cipally of a dark green or brown, suffused with 
shades of red. It occupies not less than one- 
third of the area of the peninsula ; the whole 
extent of Goonhilly downs rests on it. Its bound- 
ary is easily traced, says Mr. Sedgwick, by the 
brown scanty vegetation with which its surface is 
imperfectly covered; and the Professor might 
have added, by the growth of that beautiful 
heath, the Erica Vagans, for so congenial and 
essential would a Magnesian soil appear to 
its production, that notwithstanding its im- 
mense profusion on the downs, not a single spe- 
cimen is to be found beyond the line which defines 
the boundary of the Serpentine formation, nor is 
it to be seen in any other part of England. 
Genista Anglica is also to be found on these 
downs. 

About three miles south of Mullion, close to 
the shore, is the celebrated Steatite, or Soap 
Mock, which appears to run in veins* in the Ser- 

* Sir H. Davy, in a paper on the Geology of Cornwall, pub- 
lished in the first volume of our Transactions, observes that " the 
nature and origin of the veins of Steatite in Serpentine are curious 
subjects of inquiry. Were they originally crystallized, and the 
result of chemical deposition? Or have they been, as for the most 
part they are now found, mere mechanical deposites, I am inclined 
to the last opinion. The Felspar in Serpentine is very liable to 
decompose, probably from the action of Carbonic acid and water 

p 2 



228 The Soap nock. 

pentine, although Dr. Thomson is inclined to 
consider it as Serpentine itself in a state of de- 
composition. When it is first quarried it is soft, 
but by exposure to air it gradually hardens, al- 
though it never loses that peculiar soap?/ feel 
which characterises it. Dillwyn & Co. of Swansea 
have, at present, the works in their possession, by 
paying to the proprietor, Lord Falmouth, a cer- 
tain annual sum. Its value in the manufacture 
of China depends upon its infusibility, and the 
property it possesses of retaining its colour in 
the heat of the furnace ; the first quality is to be 
explained by the total absence of lime in its 
composition, the latter by the very small pro- 
portion of metallic matter contained in it. There 
is, moreover, another purpose which it serves, 
depending upon the peculiar property of Mag- 
nesian earth in preventing that degree of con- 
traction* which always occurs in the fire when 
Alumina and Silica are alone made use of. Near 
this spot veins of Native Copper may be fre- 

on its Alkaline, Calcareous, and Magnesian elements ; and its parts 
washed down by water, and deposited in the chasms of the rocks, 
would necessarily gain that kind of loose aggregation belonging to 
Steatite." 

* It might on this account be worth while for the Glass-maker 
to try the effects of a small mixture of Steatite with the materials 
of which he makes his large crucibles, in order to prevent that 
great degree of shrinking to which they are now so liable. 



Kynance Cove. 229 

quentiy seen at low water during spring* tides, 
and a mass of this metal was once raised which 
weighed 104 pounds. Copper is the only metal- 
lic substance that has been found in any quantity 
in the Serpentine formation ; and this has never 
occurred except native, as in the above instance, 
or in the state of Green Carbonate, so that the 
mining adventurer need not anticipate much ad- 
vantage from it. 

About a mile farther south is Kynance Cove, 
justly celebrated as one of the most interesting 
and extraordinary spots on the coast ; the descent 
into it is extremely steep, and overhung with 
frowning crags ; the cove itself is formed by a 
numerous assemblage of Serpentine rocks of a 
dark colour, and which exhibit a beautiful polish 
from the constant attrition of the waves at high 
water; in one part, these groups are so singu- 
larly disposed as to open a fine natural arch into 
a grotto, which penetrates deeply into the cliff; 
the largest of these pyramidal masses is termed 
the Asparagus Island, from its being the 
habitat of Asparagus Officinalis. One of the 
rocks in this cove exhibits a very curious phe- 
nomenon whimsically called the Devil's Bel- 
lows; there is a very deep chasm, through which 
the sea rushes like a water spout, preceded by a 



230 The Devil's Bellows. 

submarine rumbling, as loud as thunder ; a flow- 
ing tide, accompanied with a swell of the waves, 
seems to be essential for the production of this 
effect. De Luc offers the following explanation 
of the phenomenon ; " In the rock there is a 
succession of caverns, into which the agitated sea 
rushes by some sub-marine passage, and being 
dashed and broken against their sides, a large 
quantity of air* is thus disengaged from them, 
which becoming highly compressed, and not 
being able to escape beneath, in consequence of 
the perpetual entrance of the waves, is forced to 
pass with great violence and noise from cavern 
to cavern, until it forces itself, together with a 
column of water, through the opening above." 
Amongst these beautiful rocks may be seen Dial- 
lage of a brown colour; Jade; compact Felspar, 
or Saussurite ; and Asbestus, Dykes of Felspar 
Porphyry are also to be observed in this spot. 
It is hardly necessary to inform the geological 
tourist that, in order to view this interesting 
scene to his satisfaction, he must contrive to 
arrive at a period near that of low water. 

* The quantity of air thus separated from water is so great that 
in the Alps and in the Pyrennees, very powerful bellows are made 
for forges by the fall of a column of water, through a wooden pipe, 
into a closed cask, in which it dashes on a stone in the bottom, 
when the air thus disengaged from it is carried by another pipe 
placed in the cover of the cask into the foundery. 



Lizard Light Houses. 231 

On the summit of the hill above this cove the 
Botanist will observe Geranium Sanguineum 
spreading itself in broad tufts. Campanula Ro- 
tundifolia also occurs here. 

Continuing our route towards Cape Lizard, 
we shall perceive that the Serpentine terminates 
about half a mile before we reach it, and is suc- 
ceeded by Micaceous Slate, under which, at the 
Lizard head lie alternate beds of Compact Fel- 
spar, containing specks of Hornblende and green 
Talc. There are two light-houses at this point 
which front the south, and stand nearly abreast 
of each other, but unhappily they are too often 
found to be insufficient securities against the 
darkness of the midnight storm, and the treachery 
of the sunken rocks with which this stern coast 
is beset. Foreign pilots, unacquainted with its 
perils, seldom keep the necessary distance from 
the shore, and from the steepness of the rocks no 
kind of assistance can be afforded to the mariner 
from the land. 

On a low hedge under the light-houses is to be 
found Her niaria Glabra. It was here in the pur- 
suit of this very plant that a well known Botanist, 
during the late war, was seized as a spy by the 
suspicious natives, and carried to Helston for 
examination. The increased intercourse, how- 



232 Eastern Coast of the Lizard. 

ever, with scientific travellers, will render the 
recurrence of such an event impossible. 

The name of the promontory was most proba- 
bly derived from the striking contour which it 
exhibits when viewed from sea, resembling* the 
elongated and compressed form of the Lizard ; 
at the same time it must be observed^, that the 
colour of its rocks resemble also that t)f the ani- 
mal to which we allude, while the British words 
Lis-ard signify a lofty projection ; these are ex- 
traordinary coincidences, and are well calculated 
to fan the flame of etymological controversy. 

If after visiting this promontory, the traveller 
feels inclined to trace the different rock forma- 
tions, and to complete his geological survey of 
the Lizard Chersonesus, we recommend him to 
return by a circuitous route along its eastern 
coast. Greenstone reappears about half a mile 
east of the Lizard Point, and continues for some 
distance, with the occasional interruption of Ser- 
pentine, which dips towards the sea. This latter 
rock will be found best adapted fcr oeconomical 
purposes at the Balk Hill, Landewednock, but 
it is certainly far inferior to that worked for 
chimney pieces, columns, &c. from the quarries 
in the Isle of Anglesea. Near Cadgwilh the rocks 
on the coast form a very interesting and extra- 






The Frying Pan. 233 

ordinary amphitheatre, which is termed by the 
inhabitants the Frying Pan, although the ap- 
pellation of Cauldron, which it strongly re- 
sembles, would be much more appropriate. Its 
sides are nearly two hundred feet in height, 
and, at high water, the sea enters it and boils 
up through an arch near its bottom. In this 
spot the position of the Serpentine upon Green- 
stone is very apparent. Beyond Cadgwith the 
Serpentine assumes a dark green colour, and 
contains small masses of the emerald green Dial- 
lage, or Schiller-spar; whence it continues to 
constitute the coast round the Black Head to 
Coverack Cove, About a mile from the coast at 
Gzcenter, the rock denominated by Abbe Haiiy 
" Diallage Rock''' (Gabbro) presents itself to 
our notice; it is composed of Saussurite, or Com- 
pact Felspar, and Diallage Metalloide. In a 
quarry near this spot it may be seen to join 
Serpentine. In the Diallage Rock, at a small 
village near the coast called Gwendra, as well 
as in the rock of Saint Keverne, Mr. Majendie 
discovered some small metallic specks, which he 
found on chemical examination to consist of 
Iron, with a portion of Titanium. Some of the 
same substance was immediately transmitted to 
Mr. William Gregor, who stated that the results 



Coverack Cove, a spot 

of his experiments proved it to be an assemblage 
of several ingredients, viz. Silica, Alumina, and 
the Oxides of Iron and Titanium, with a little 
Potass. Some of which ingredients were no 
doubt derived from the gangue with which the 
metallic substance is intimately mixed. This is 
a discovery no less curious than important, and 
would seem to point out the origin of the Men- 
achanite, in which Titanium was first discovered 
by Mr. Gregor. 

The great mass of Serpentine ends at Coverack 
Cove, a spot which well deserves the attention 
of the Geologist, as offering a series of rocks of 
a very mixed character; these consist of green 
and reddish-brown Serpentine, with the Jade of 
Saussure, (the feldspath tenace of Haiiy) and 
Diallage * of the green and metalloide varieties ; 
some of the Felspar found here is of a violet 
colour, and is striated like that of Labrador. 
In beds which lie below high-water mark in 
this Cove the mineralogist may obtain masses 
of Diallage Metalloide, six or eight inches in 

* This substance presents with great distinctness those charac- 
ters which distinguish it from Hornblende, viz. inferior hardness, 
difficult fusibility into a green enamel, and peculiar cleavage 
which discovers a considerable lustre in one direction which is 
entirely absent in the other ; whereas Hornblende has natural 
joints of the same lustre in two directions. 






of the greatest Geological Interest. 235 

length. + A beautiful rock succeeds and con- 
tinues for three miles along the coast to the 
Manacles ; and in the interior of the country it 
predominates through the greater part of the 
parish of Saint Kecerne, It has compact Felspar 
for its base, in which are imbedded crystals both 
of Diallage and Hornblende. In the proportion, 
as well as the magnitude of these constituents, 
says Mr. Professor Sedgwick, there is such an 
unusual variety, that we were almost led to 
conjecture, that during the deposition of the 
mass many conflicting principles had been in 
action, not one of which was long able to keep 
the mastery over the others ; there are for in- 
stance many large blocks which in one part 
resemble a fine Greenstone^ and in another, a 
coarse porphyritic Diallage Rock ; within the 
distance of a few feet these varieties may be 
observed to alternate repeatedly, sometimes in 
the form of stripes, but more frequently in amor- 
phous concretions separated from each other bv 



+ Mr. Majendie presented some of these specimens to Abbe 
Haiiy, and compared them with those in the cabinet of that 
illustrious mineralogist, which were brought from the hill of 
Mussinet near Turin. M. Haiiy observed upon this occasion, that 
the Coverack Specimens did not consist of pure Diallage, but that 
fibres of common Hornblende interrupted its texture. That of 
Mussinet is foliated, and has no such intermixture. 



236 Tregonwell Mill .— Menace han. 

lines which are perfectly defined. Schistose 
Greenstone occurs again at Porthowstock, and a 
small bed of Serpentine, on the south-west side 
oiPorthallo in the cliff, which rests on a reddish 
Talc which lies, as before, on Clay Slate. No 
other variety is observable from hence to the 
Helford River, except in the appearance of a 
Pudding Stone, or Conglomerate, near the Dennis 
Creek, composed of rounded fragments of Slate 
in which veins of Quartz are distinctly visible. 
The traveller will not fail to visit the stream of 
Tregonwell iW«7/,*near the village of Menacchan, 
celebrated as the habitat of the Titaniferous Iron 
( Menacchanite, or Gregorite) discovered by the 
late celebrated Mr. William Gregor.t He will 
also receive much gratification by extending his 
route to Mawnan Cliffs, where he will observe 
a most extraordinary intermixture of fine and 
coarse grained (Grawacke?) slate, which are 
traversed by many contemporaneous veins, some 
composed of Quartz, and others of Ferriferous 

* For a long period this was considered as the only Cornish 
habitat of this mineral ; but Dr. Paris subsequently identified 
its presence in a sand brought from a stream near the house of 
Colonel Sandys at Lanarth. See " Transactions of the Royal 
Geological Society of Cornwall." Vol. I. p, 226. 

+ See a History of this curious discovery in " A Memoir on the 
. Life and Scientific Labours of the Rev. William Gregor, by 
J. A. Paris, M. D."— London, 1818. 



Mawnan Cliffs. 237 

Carbonate of Lime; some small cavities are 
coated with fine spicular Arragonite, and a much 
rarer substance, which on a chemical examina- 
tion by Mr. Gregor proved to be a Sub-carburet 
of Iron, has been found in thin plates among 
the laminae of the Slate. The Reverend John 
Rogers has also obtained from this spot small 
octohedral crystals of the Yellow Sulphuret of 
Copper. 

From a general review of the phenomena de- 
veloped in the present excursion, Mr. Professor 
Sedgwick is led to conclude, that the great Pla- 
teau of the Lizard is not composed of stratified 
rocks, for although some obscure indications of 
an order of super-position appear near Cover ack 
and JPorthalla, yet he considers them as being 
too uncertain to be opposed to the clear evidence 
offered to the south-eastern parts of the coast, 
where the alternating masses of Greenstone and 
Serpentine so often appear, like great wedges 
driven side by side into the escarpment, without 
any arrangement whatsoever. Mr. Majendie, 
however, who, be it known, actually bivouacked 
in this district for a week, was satisfied that the 
Greenstone and Serpentine did exhibit characters 
of Stratification. — But we desist — feeling what 
no doubt our readers have likewise experienced. 



238 Conclusion. 

the dry and uninviting nature of Geological 
details. — Having therefore completed the task 
we assigned ourselves, and conducted the tra- 
veller to the more prominent and interesting 
objects of Western Cornwall, we take our 
leave. The Agriculturist, the Antiquary, the 
Botanist, the Geologist, and Mineralogist, must, 
each in his turn, have received ample gratifica- 
tion and instruction from his visit to this inte- 
resting and important district of the British 
Empire, while the Capitalist must have seen 
from the agriculture, the mineral treasures, the 
fisheries, and the commerce of the country, how 
many, and what great opportunities are pre- 
sented for the advantageous exercise of capital; 
the Valetudinarian too has, as we sincerely hope, 
derived his share of benefit from the excursions, 
and felt the salutary influence of those mild and 
genial breezes which clothe our fields with per- 
petual verdure, and impart to our cottagers the 
enviable blessing of Health and Long Life. 



APPENDIX 



PART I 



A DIALOGUE 

Between Dr, A. — a Physician, and Mr. B — 
an Invalid, on the comparative merits of dif- 
ferent Climates, as places of Winter residence. 



'• Ne quis error loci nascatur — ' 



Mr. B. — In a conversation which we held together 
in the early part of the summer, you will remember the 
promise you then gave of affording me such advice, 
relative to the choice of a winter's residence, as the 
declining state of my health might require. The 
autumn is now rapidly advancing, and I feel that no 
time should be lost in making such arrangements as 
may enable me to pass the approaching winter with the 
greatest prospect of benefit. 

Dr. A. — I fully acquiesce in the propriety of your 
resolution, and shall readily afford you any information 
in my power ; but you well know that to a physician 



240 Appendix 

there is not a question which he approaches with so 
much diffidence, or dismisses with such little satisfac- 
tion. 

Mr. B. — I am well aware of the difficulties to which 
you refer; circumstances of a moral nature, with which 
the physician can rarely become sufficiently acquainted, 
must necessarily have considerable weight in directing 
the decision ; but in my own case it is fortunate that 
no such embarrassment can impede your judgment. 
My only object and care is the restoration of health, 
and my means are sufficient to enable me to pursue it 
in any way which may give the fairest promise of 
success. 

Dr. A. — You mistake me, it was not to embarrass- 
ments of that kind that I was alluding. 

Mr. B. — Can then any other source of difficulty 
exist ? To a medical practitioner who is in the habit 
of sending his patients to all parts of Europe in search 
of health, the real and comparative advantages of each 
locality must surely be well known. 

Dr. A. — Far otherwise, my dear friend ; there are 
few subjects upon which medical men have more widely 
differed. It is true that we send our pulmonary suf- 
fererers to various parts of the continent, and that we 
receive from them a multiplicity of reports ; but then 
they are often totally at variance with each other upon 
those very points which are generally considered as the 
least questionable ; and when we attempt to reconcile 
this discordance, by an appeal to meteorological re- 
cords, and registers of prevalent diseases, we are mor- 
tified to find that the evidence necessary for forming 
a safe and practical conclusion, requires a union of 
industry and accuracy which has not hitherto been 



On Climate. 241 

found to exist in a sufficient number of collateral ob- 
servers. Nor must it be forgotten, that the disease, 
for the cure of which the invalid is persuaded to emi- 
grate, may require a very different atmosphere in its 
differentstages and forms ; and after all, how often does 
it happen that the sufferer is not sent abroad, until every 
chance of palliation has gone by. 

Mr. B. — I do not hesitate to declare that such con- 
duct, on the part of a medical adviser, is as cruel as it 
is unprincipled ; my confidence however in your in- 
tegrity satisfies me that you will never abandon an 
unhappy sufferer to such a useless alternative ; I must 
therefore request you to state your opinion, generally, 
as to the peculiar conditions upon which you consider 
the eligibility of a climate, in the cure or palliation of 
pulmonary affections, to depend. 

Dr. A. — This I shall do most cheerfully, especially 
in conversation with one, whose philosophical pursuits 
will have already instructed him in those principles, 
from which our conclusions are necessarily deduced. — 
Congenial warmth, and, above all, equability of tem- 
perature, are the first objects of inquiry in the theo- 
retical comparison of climates ; but these cannot be 
practically ascertained, in relation to their effects upon 
the human body, by the thermometer ', because they 
are constantly liable to be modified by causes of which 
we have no other indication but that afforded by our 
sensations. 

Mr. B. — That is strange; — and, so gratuitous does 
the assertion appear to me, that I should be better 
satisfied were you to support it by some examples. 

Dr. J. — Well then, I may instance for your satis- 
faction, the well known influence of peculiar winds 
Q 



242 Appendix 

combined with moisture, and which, although they 
may produce little or no variation in the thermometer 
will rapidly rob the body of its heat ; the north-west 
winds which so commonly blow in the southern pro- 
vinces of France are decidedly more mischievous to 
the pulmonary invalid than the March winds that de- 
solate the more delicate frames in our own country, 
and yet the thermometer in this case affords no indi- 
cation of their nature. 

Mr. B. — No one who wishes to form a just estimate 
of a climate, can doubt the propriety of taking the 
prevalence of wind, and the degree of atmospheric 
moisture into the account; although reasoning, from 
analogy, I should not suppose that this latter circum- 
stance would be prejudicial ; look at the moist and 
foggy atmosphere of Holland, and yet I am told that 
catarrhal affections are extremely rare in that country. 

Dr. A. — Moisture must make both heat and cold 
more sensible ; the one, by diminishing perspiration, 
the other, by increasing the conducting power of the 
air;* humidity therefore may be an injurious, or a 
salutary condition, according to circumstances; but 
you are greatly mistaken in supposing that the Dutch 
owe their immunity from Catarrh to the dampness of 
their climate, for it is to be imputed to the greater 
equability of its temperature. 

Mr. B. You no doubt place great stress upon the 
advantage of an equable climate. 

Dr. A. I consider equability as the most important 
condition of all ; especially where the temperature ran- 
ges at about 60° of Fahrenheit. It not only diminishes 
the chance of aggravating pulmonary disease by pre- 

* See Paris's Pharmacologia, vol. 1, chap. " Expectorants" 



On Climate. 243 

venting Catarrhs, but it serves to preserve a genial and 
regular action of the skin, to keep the balance of blood 
constantly on the surface, and to prevent any undue 
congestion of it in the lungs. Besides, it is acknow- 
ledged on all sides, that consumption is most prevalent 
in countries and districts which are subject to great and 
rapid changes of temperature, and that it is compara- 
tively rare in those which are free from the diurnal 
changes and sudden transitions which so characterise 
that of our own island. 

Mr. B. Nothing can be more convincing than such 
reasoning; — but tell me for what reason you consider 
the temperature of 60° as an essential condition under 
these circumstances. 

Dr. A. It is evident that no climate, however equa- 
ble it may be thermc-metrically, can be considered as 
such in a medical point of view, if its temperature ran- 
ges much below the degree I have mentioned ; because 
in that case a material change must always occur when- 
ever the invalid quits his apartment, and goes into the 
open air. So that I consider a cold climate must in 
effect be always regarded as a variable one. 

Mr. B. But cannot this objection be obviated by 
suitable cloathing ? 

Dr. A. To a certain extent perhaps, but recollect if 
you please, that there is no furnishing a great coat for 
the lungs, to protect their structure against the di- 
minished temperature of the air which is breathed. 

Mr. B. What opinion have you formed respecting 
the effects of a marine atmosphere ? 

Dr. A. I apprehend that question cannot be fairly 
answered without a reference to the symptoms and cir- 
cumstances of each particular case ; generally speaking, 
Q2 






244 Appendix 

I am induced to consider the air of the sea as not hos- 
tile to diseased lungs, except perhaps in those cases in 
which Hectic fever is fully established ; but then again 
cases will sometimes occur which would appear to 
sanction a contrary conclusion. Thus much I should 
say was certainly true, that in such situations you will 
always experience more humidity, and that when the 
air is cold, that cold will in consequence be more in- 
tolerable, for the reasons I have before stated. On the 
other hand you must be aware that a marine situation 
will enjoy a more equable temperature* than one simi- 
larly situated, but remote from the ocean, and as far as 
that goes it will have its advantages. 

Mr. B. I should much like to know what the con- 
tinental physicians think of this circumstance, with 
reference to their own climate. 

Dr. A. Upon that point you may be easily satisfied 
by referring to Dr. Clark's work on foreign climates. + 
He says that the physicians on the sea coast send their 
consumptive patients into the interior, and those in the 
interior to the shores of the Mediterranean or Adriatic 
From Genoa they send them into the interior, deeming 
the sea air injurious to them. From Naples they fre- 
quently send such invalids to Rome. From Rome, on 
the other hand, they send them frequently to Civita 
Vecchia, on the shores of the Mediterranean; more 
frequently to the shores of the Adriatic, and, occasion- 
ally, even to Naples ! 

Mr. B. And is this account to satisfy me ? why I 
am plunged deeper in doubt than ever by such testi- 

* See page 5 of the Guide. 
+ Medical Notes on Climate, Diseases, &c. in France, Italy, and 
Switzerland, by James Clark, M.D. London 1820. 

| 



On Climate, 245 

mony. No wonder that the physician should approach 
the subject of Climate with diffidence when he finds 
those best able, from experience, to appreciate its me- 
rits, so irreconcilably at variance with each other. In 
the next place, let me ask whether you advocate the 
advantages of a Sea Voyage ? 

Dr. A. Not unconditionally. Dr. Young has said, 
and I believe with much truth, that the greatest possible 
equability of temperature is to be obtained in a sea 
voyage to a warm climate ; in which the variation will 
seldom amount to half as much as in the most favour- 
able situation on shore, even on a small island. 

Mr. B. The very condition which, of all others, 
you consider the most beneficial. 

Dr. A. Undoubtedly, and if you can make interest 
with Neptune to push you forward with his trident, 
and persuade iEolus to slumber quietly in his caverns, 
lose no time in availing yourself of such advantages ; 
but as long as the wind " bloweth where it listeth," I 
entreat you, my good friend, to remain on terrajirma; 
depend upon it that experience will fully sanction this 
advice; — of the great number of patients who have 
been sent on such an errand, by far the greatest pro- 
portion have had the progress of their pectoral com- 
plaints rapidly accelerated during the voyage ; remember 
the various kinds of physical injury and distress to 
which you must be exposed on board of ship, before 
you can reach a steady and warm climate, from bad 
weather, and different local causes which it is not neces- 
sary to enumerate ; — four and twenty hours beating to 
windward are sufficient to counterbalance all the ad- 
vantages that might be anticipated. 

Mr. B. Why you must surely have been inoculated 



246 Appendix 

with the prejudices of Mr. Matthews, who tells us that 
the fatigue and discomfort of a vessel is much the same 
thing as being tossed in a blanket during one half of the 
day, and thrown into a pigsty for the remainder. 

Dr. A. I never was more serious. If the weather 
be bad the patient has but one alternative, he is either 
half suffocated with smoke or an oppressive atmosphere 
in the cabin, or exposed on deck to cutting winds, rain, 
and cold, and to an air by far too free for diseased 
lungs ; then again sea sickness, whatever may have 
been said to the contrary, reduces his strength rapidly, 
and if damp sheets are the bug-bears of land travellers, 
damp clothes of every description are unavoidable at 
sea, and which in stormy weather can seldom be dried.. 

Mr, B. Well, you will at least allow that the motion 
of a ship is preferable to that of a carriage on a rough 
road. 

Dr. A. I will not even concede this point, and were 
you only to read the interesting case of Dr. Currie, I am 
sure that you would be soon convinced of the contrary. 

Mr. B. The opinion you have now expressed is suf- 
ficient; I shall not be readily induced to make the 
experiment of a sea voyage ; suppose me then, if you 
please, to have been already transported across the 
channel on a calm day in a Steam-boat, and tell me to 
what part of the continent I am to direct my steps, in 
order to find a suitable residence for the winter months, 
I take it for granted that you consider the English 
Climate, from June to October as salutary to natives as 
that of any country in the world. 

Dr. A. Beyond question ; — but as an invalid who 
seeks permanent advantage from a foreign climate must 
be content to remain abroad for, at least, two winters, 



On Climate. 247 

you will readily perceive that the consideration of his 
residence during the summer season is not entirely a 
subject of indifference. 

Mr. B. My inclination would lead me to (he south 
of France in preference to a more distant residence, pror 
vided the place should meet with your full concurrence. 

Dr. A. The places to which English invalids have 
been more usually sent are Montpellier, Marseilles, 
Toulon, and Hieres ; but I never ventured an opinion 
with less reserve when I declare, that I regard the very 
coldest parts of our own country to be less inimical to 
delicate lungs than the sharp and piercing air of the 
places which I have just mentioned. As to Montpellier, 
I am at a loss to understand how it could ever have 
obtained a reputation for its climate ; and yet so uni- 
versal was the belief, that its very name became, as you 
must well know, a characteristic epithet to places sup- 
posed to be preeminently salubrious. 

Mr. B, Is it not remarkable for its clear blue sky, 
the very idea of which will always carry a charm with 
it to an Englishman ? 

Dr. A. Clear and brilliant enough, but the air is at 
the same time so sharp and biting, that every mouthful 
irritates the lungs, and produces excessive coughing, — »■ 
and then you are, moreover, constantly assailed by one 
or the other of two destructive winds, — the Bize bring- 
ing cold, and the Marin, moisture. 

Mr. B. And yet to this same Bize, of whose sharp- 
ness you so greatly complain, did the Emperor Augustus 
erect an altar. 

Dr. A. Very true, but we are told it was an homage 
like that which the Indians are said to pay to the infer- 
nal deity ; to avert its wrath, not to conciliate its favour. 



24S Appendix 

Mr. B. Is the locality of Marseilles less exception- 
able ? 

Dr. A. By no means. Cold winds are always inju- 
rious, but they are rendered destructive, in a tenfold 
proportion, when alternated with heat. At Marseilles 
the dreaded Mistr al of Provence (a north-west wind), 
which is often accompanied by a clear atmosphere, and 
a powerful sun, reigns in all its glory. Toulon has the 
damning fault of Marseilles. 

Mr. B. Is Hieres exposed to the same evil ? 

Dr. A. Not in the same degree. It has generally 
the credit of being much milder, and I really believe 
that it is justly preferred to every other place in Pro- 
vence, — but it is not free from the Mistral. Dr. Clark, 
however, tells us that about the bases of the hills, there 
are some sheltered spots, where the invalid might enjoy 
several hours in the open air on almost every dry day, 
but then there exists a difficulty in reaching them at 
those times, when they would be most useful. 

Mr. B. I see plainly, that a residence in the south 
of France would never realize my hopes of recovery; 
perhaps Nice may be more likely to afford satisfaction ? 

Dr. A. Nice, as you probably know, was first 
brought into vogue by our celebrated countryman, Dr. 
Smollet, who resided there during two winters, and it 
has been extolled by numerous writers since that period ; 
the northern blasts, which rage with such fury in the 
south of France, are averted from this favoured valley 
by the maritime alps. Dr. Smollet, in speaking of its 
superior mildness, when compared with Provence, says, 
** the north-west winds blew as cold in Provence as 
ever I felt them on the mountains of Scotland, whereas 
Nice is altogether screened from them by mountains. " 



On Climate. 249 

Mr. B. If I have been correctly informed, the 
neighbourhood of Nice is on many accounts preferable 
to the town itself. 

Dr. A. The suburbs of the c Croix de Marbre' have 
been the favourite residence of the English, and indeed 
on that account are not unfrequently called the c Faux- 
bourg des Anglois\ This spot is situated immediately 
beyond the river Paglion, which, descending from its 
Alpine sources, washes the western extremity of the 
town and falls into the bay of Nice. 

Mr. B. "What accommodations are to be met with 
at Nice ? 

Dr. A. I have always understood that provisions 
are both good and abundant ; some of my patients, 
however, have complained greatly of the bread as being 
sour and ill tasted from the leaven. As to the other ac- 
commodations, Dr. Clark says that they are also good, 
making allowance always for the inconveniences which, 
to an English family, are inseparable from foreign 
houses, such as smoky apartments, ill provided fire 
places, &c. 

Mr. B. Now state, if you please, the objections 
that may be urged against Nice. 

Dr. A. In the commencement of the winter, this 
valley is remarkably infested with mosquitoes, which 
greatly annoy strangers, especially children. During 
the months of November, December, and January, the 
climate would seem to embrace all the qualities so 
favourable to pectoral complaints, but the three follow- 
ing months are by no means unexceptionable. Although 
Nice be protected from the Mistraly yet in the spring 
of the year it is infested with cold sharp winds from the 






250 Appendix 

east, and north and south-east, which are highly mis- 
chievous to the valetudinarian. 

Mr. B. It is clear then that he should quit Nice at 
this season. 

Dr. A. That is not so easy as you may suppose, for 
unless he leaves it by sea, he must not venture to depart 
by any of the usual roads before the month of May; for 
should he direct his route to Turin, he will have a very 
rough and hazardous journey over the " Col de Tende" 
and may perchance be caught in a snow storm ; if on 
the other hand, he returns by France, he must cross the 
" Estrelles," and expose himself to the cold winds of 
Provence. 

Mr. B. Well these are strong objections ; but taking 
into consideration all the advantages and disadvantages 
of Nice, will not the former so greatly preponderate, 
as to entitle it to the character it has long enjoyed as 
an eligible winter residence for the consumptive ? 

Dr. A. I fear that medical experience will not 
sanction such a conclusion. Catarrhal affections are 
frequent amongst the inhabitants, and it has been re- 
marked by those best able to investigate the subject, 
that the progress of pulmonary disease is rather accele- 
rated than retarded by this climate. If you will allow 
me, I will read a . passage from a late work by Dr. 
Carter, which places this subject in a very striking 
point of view. " Notwithstanding the mildness of 
Nice, it appeared to be of little or no service to per- 
sons labouring under confirmed consumption ; during 
the winter I was there, I saw no instance of great 
amendment, and I even doubted whether life was not 
shortened in some instances by a residence there. Some 
medical men were clearly of that opinion ', and as their 



On Climate, 251 

interest should have led them to speak well of Nice, 
they must have been pretty strongly impressed with the 
conviction of its climate being hurtful to people in con- 
firmed Phthisis, before they could have been induced 
to make this opinion public." * 

Mr. B. This is discouraging ; but is the testimony 
of Dr. Carter supported by other authorities ? 

Dr. A. By many others. Here is a work by Dr. 
Clark, who is himself resident at Rome, and a physician 
of great intelligence : he not only confirms the opinion 
of Dr. Carter, but adduces that of Professor Fodere 
who practised at Nice for more than six years, and who 
in a conversation with Dr. Clark, made the following 
strong observation. Ci There is one thing certain, Sir, 
you may safely assure your countrymen, that it is a very 
bad practice to send their consumptive patients to Nice." 
M. Fodere moreover observed, that consumption in this 
district is not, as in Switzerland, on the banks of the 
Soane, and in Alsace, a chronic disease ; but, on the 
contrary, he has often seen it terminate in forty days; 
he says that the physician of the countries just men- 
tioned would be quite astonished at the quickness with 
which one attack of pulmonary hemorrhage succeeds 
another, how readily the tubercles suppurate, and how 
speedily the lungs are destroyed." He is even inclined 
to believe that there exists, on the shores of the Medi- 
terranean, some source of evil not appreciable by 
meteorological observations. 

* A Short Accouut of some of the Principal Hospitals of France, 
Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, with Remarks upon the 
Climate and Diseases ef those Countries. By H. W. Carter, M.D. 
London 1819. 



252 Appendix 

Mr. B. Enough of Nice. What of Pisa ? 

Dr. A. You may perhaps remember that Mr. Mat- 
thews, in his comparison of these two places, says, 
w I believe that Pisa is the very best place on the con- 
tinent during the winter for complaints of the chest ; 
and Nice, of which I speak from good authority, is 
perhaps the very worst. The air of the first, which is 
situated in a low plain, is warm, mild, and muggy ; 
that of the second is pure, keen, and piercing." 

Mr. B. To speak honestly, I entertain a very high 
respect for Mr. Matthews as an intelligent and agree- 
able tourist, but he is the very last authority upon 
which I could repose my confidence, with regard to the 
salubrity of a climate ; his observations upon this head 
are too fretful and petulant to afford satisfaction. 

Dr. A. His remarks upon Nice and Pisa will cer- 
tainly justify the opinion you have formed ; for there 
does not exist such a striking difference in the climate 
of these places as he has been induced to believe ; al- 
though the latter town is certainly milder than Nice, 
and possesses the advantage of having good roads lead- 
ing to it from all parts of Italy, so that the invalid may 
leave it with safety much earlier than he could Nice. 

Mr. B. Are the spring winds less violent than at 
Nice ? 

Dr. A. Scarcely. The site of the houses, however, 
is better calculated to defend you from their influence. 
On the northern bank of the Arne, there is a crescent 
which faces the south, and is well protected from the 
north winds ; this situation ought always to be selected 
by invalids who winter at Pisa. 

Mr. B. If I resolve to winter in Italy, I shall pro- 
bably prefer Pisa. I confess that I have received a 



On Climate. 253 

prejudice against Rome, as well as Naples, from the 
reports of some friends who have lately returned from 
those places ; but I should be glad to hear your opinion 
upon the subject. 

Dr. A. Rome and Naples ought not to be named in 
the same breath, unless indeed for the sake of contrast. 
Rome possesses many points of excellence as a winter 
residence, but as to Naples at this season, I would not 
recommend an invalid, on any account, to try its cli- 
mate : — conceive the effects of a hot sun with a winter 
wind of piercing bitterness ! u Vedi Napoli e j;o' mori" 
says the proverb, and no wonder that it has received so 
many illustrations from the English. Upon this one 
point at least we must all concur with Mr. Matthews: 
" If," says he, " a man be tired of the slow lingering 
progress of consumption, let him repair to Naples: and 
the denouement will be much more rapid." 

Mr. B. But what of Rome— of the Eternal City ? 

Dr. A. That vehemence of expression, my good 
friend, betrays your polarity ; in spite of your avowal I 
see clearly that your wishes point to the ancient Mis- 
tress of the world. 

Mr. B. You really mistake me; — depend upon it 
that I shall undertake no pilgrimage but to the temple 
of Hygeia. 

Dr. A. Rome has, by far, too many temptations for 
the invalid, and I confess that from the accounts which 
I have received from my patients, I am unable to dis- 
cover any advantages equivalent to the risks. 

Mr. B. I am even told that the climate of Rome is 
much colder than that of Nice in the winter. 

Dr. A. You have been rightly informed ; in addition 
to which, the streets are damp and chilly, and so vari- 






254 Appendix 

able in temperature, that there is not unfrequently a 
difference of twenty degrees between one street and 
another. 

Mr. B. In what then does its excellence consist ? 

Dr. A. It is decidedly the best spring residence in 
Italy. The air is much more moist than that of Nice ; 
and, at this season, it has the advantage of being less 
liable to cold winds; although it must be confessed 
that the Tramontana (a sharp northerly wind,) is some- 
times felt with considerable severity, but it does not 
affect the human body like the dry cold winds of Pro- 
vence. 

Mr. B. The prejudice which exists in my mind 
against Rome has arisen from the circumstance of many 
of my friends having suffered severely from head-ache, 
during their residence there. 

Dr. A. Upon that point, I fear my opinion will 
rather strengthen than remove your prejudice. I have 
no hesitation in stating, that the same complaint has 
been frequently made to me ; and even Dr. Clark, the 
English resident physician, confirms the objection.* 

Mr. B. And then come the frightful Malaria. 

Dr. A. The stranger has nothing to fear from these 
exhalations between October and the middle of May, 

* " There is one class of affections for which the Atmosphere of 
Rome appeared to me unfavourable. These are head-aches arising 
from a tendency to a fullness about the head. In many cases 
among the English residents, I found persons not previously sub- 
ject to head-aches affected with them here, and some already liable 
to them had been aggravated. Apoplexy, I was told, was at one 
time so frequent at Rome that a day of public fasting was ordered, 
and a particular form of prayer addressed to St. Anthony to avert 
so dreadful a calamity from the Holy city." 



On Climate. 255 

after which period I should not recommend any invalid 
to protract his visit. 

Mr. B. But suppose his object is to remain two 
winters at Rome, — where is he to find refuge during 
these intervals ? 

Dr. A. In the vicinity of Rome there are many spots 
which will furnish a very eligible residence during the 
hot weather, such are Albano, Frascati, Tivoli, Castel 
Gandolfo. 

Mr. B. After what you have said, I think it is 
scarcely worth while for an invalid to encounter the 
fatigues of so long a journey ; but you have not yet 
mentioned Florence. 

Dr. A. Its climate is almost as changeable as our 
own, and far more mischievous, as its Siberian winds 
alternate with a temperature equal to that of our finest 
days in spring. The summer, however, is delightful, 
the heat being greatly tempered by the Apennines. 
Bicchierai, an Italian Physician of eminence, used to 
say, that he wondered how any body could live at Flo- 
rence in the winter, or die there in the summer. 

Mr. B. Upon the whole you have presented me 
with a very discouraging view of the Italian Climate ; 
and I have always understood that Lisbon is intolerable 
to an Englishman from its filth. 

Dr. A. Lisbon is out of the question : the character 
of its climate may be summed up in a few words. Its 
winter temperature is neither mild nor equable, and its 
spring is remarkable for dense and cold fogs ; and as to 
what an Englishman calls comfort, there is not a city in 
the world where it is so systematically neglected. 

Mr. B. Suppose I wave the objections to a sea 
voyage and set sail for Sicily ? 



256 



Appendix 



Dr. A. In that case you will undoubtedly find a 
fine climate, superior in most respects to that of the 
Italian continent. The winter and spring seasons are 
remarkably mild, provided you select Palermo for your 
residence ; Messina is exposed to cold piercing easterly 
winds from the mountains of Calabria. 

Mr. B. I have heard Catania well spoken of. 

Dr. A. Its atmosphere is too sulphureous ; in ad- 
dition to which every egress from the town is difficult 
and unpleasant, owing to the lava from the Volcano. 
But there is in my opinion an insuperable objection to 
the Sicilian climate from the extreme heat of its sum- 
mer, from which the invalid canuot easily escape. 

Mr. B. Well then, Malta. 

Dr. A t Dr. Domeier, in his account of this climate, 
tells us that the thermometer seldom varies in this 
island more than 6° in the twenty-four hours, or stands 
below 51°, even in the depth of winter: but then the 
summer, which is protracted even to the month of No- 
vember, is extremely mischievous from its heat, the 
force of which is severely felt in a country where there 
is scarcely any visible foliage, the place of hedges being 
universally occupied by stone walls. 

Mr. B. Let me hear what you have to say with 
respect to the other islands which have gained celebrity 
for their climates, such as Madeira, the Bermudas, 
Jamaica, — 

Dr. A. You must be well aware that these places 
are, generally speaking, beyond the reach of the ordi- 
nary class of English invalids. Madeira has been 
greatly extolled by Dr. Adams, who even ventures to 
assert that in cases of consumption, if the patient does 
not saunter away his time, after his physician has ad- 



On Climate. 257 

vised him to quit England, we may with certainty pro- 
mise him a cure. In the West Indies it is agreed by 
all authors, that consumptive affections are almost un- 
known, and that scrofula in all its forms is uncommon. 

Mr. B. Would you recommend a residence in the 
West Indies to a person who has free control over his 
movements ? 

Dr. A. If we may be allowed to draw any inference 
from the qualities of a climate, as indicated by the ther- 
mometer, or by its effects on the constitution of the 
inhabitants, there can be but little doubt that a resi- 
dence in the Bermudas, in a temperate and sheltered 
part of Jamaica, or in some other of the West India 
Islands, would present every advantage, towards the 
recovery of a consumptive patient, that climate alone 
can bestow. 

Mr. B. I thank you sincerely, my good Sir, for the 
patience and candour with which you have discussed the 
subject of climate. I am fully sensible of the difficulties 
with which it is encompassed, and of the utter impos- 
sibility of expecting from medical advice a satisfactory 
solution of the many problems which it involves. Every 
invalid must, to a certaiu extent, rely upon his own 
judgment; but before I finally decide upon the place 
of my destination, allow me to trespass still farther up- 
on your patience, in ^rder to learn whether, after all, 
there be not some favoured spot ia our own country, 
where I might seek shelter from the approaching 
season, and which would supersede the necessity of 
travelling to a foreign land ? 

Dr. A. I should say to a person, who had been 
accustomed to the colder and more exposed parts of our 
island, try the effects of some more genial situation ; 

R 



25$ Appendix. 

and such a change would be as likely to favour con- 
valescence as an emigration to the continent ; for al- 
though by such a step, he might not obtain an equally 
favourable atmosphere, he would more than counter- 
balance the difference by ensuring the advantages of 
English comforts. 

Mr. B. And to what parts of England would you 
direct him ? 

Dr. A. There are particular spots on the coast of 
Hampshire and Sussex which have been long considered 
as eligible places of winter residence; such are South- 
ampton and Hastings, which are certainly less subject 
to the effect of the Northern and Eastern winds than 
many parts of our island ; but they are not to be put in 
competition with Sidmouth, Dawlish, or Torquay in 
Devonshire, and still less with Penzance in Cornwall, 
which, after all, is the only situation which can be 
fairly said to possess any very material advantages from 
the mildness of its winter. I speak this from well 
grounded observation and experience. The Climate of 
Penzance is unlike that of any other part of the island. 

Mr. B. I remember having received a favourable 
impression with respect to the climate of that place, 
from the perusal of a small work, entitled, a Guide to 
the Mount's Bay and the Land's End ; a copy was lent 

me by Sir , and I have since endeavoured to 

purchase one, but find that it is out of print. 

Dr. A. Are you not aware then that you have been 
conversing with its author ? — The book has been for 
some time out of print, but a second edition is nearly 
ready for publication ; and, with your permission, f 
shall introduce, as nearly as my memory will serve, 



On Climate. 259 

the conversation which we have just held together upon 
the subject of Climate. 

Mr. B. By all means ; — the questions which I have 
submitted for your opinion, are such as must naturally 
suggest themselves to every invalid who is in search of 
a winter residence, and as your little work, as far as I 
recollect, is intended for the same class of persons, its 
practical utility will be materially enhanced by the 
addition you have just proposed. 



r2 



APPENDIX.—PART II. 



An Account of the First Celebration of the 
KNILLIAN GAMES at St. IVES. 



Alluded to at page 158 of this work. 



We trust that our readers will find some amusement 
and relaxation, after the fatigue of their clay's excursion, 
in the following Jeu d'Esprity as originally written by 
an eye witness of the festivity ; an institution which, 
adds the said writer, will go far to preserve the tone of 
the Cornish character, and which can never be neg- 
lected while the Cornish men continue to be brave, and 
the Cornish women to be virtuous. 

The celebration of the Games at Olympia, after the 
revolution of every four years, formed the chief date of 
time among the Greeks ; and perhaps in future the in- 
habitants of the West of England will reckon the years, 
as they pass, by the quinquennial return of the games 
at St. Ives. 

I ought rather to have begun by stating, that John 
Knill, Esq. a gentleman formerly of great eminence in 
the above mentioned town, has bequeathed the income 
of a considerable estate to be distributed by the trustees 
in a variety of prizes to those who may excel in racing, 
in rowing, and in wrestling. A large sum is to be 
divided among a band of virgins, who are to be dressed 
all in white, and with four matrons, and a company of 
musicians preceding them, are to walk in pairs to the 
summit of the hill, which is near the town of St. Ives, 



Knillian Games. 261 

where they are to dance and chaunt a hymn rouud the 
far famed mausoleum. 

Ten guineas are appointed to be expended in a din- 
ner at the grand hotel in the town, of whii h six of the 
principal inhabitants are to partake; and this festival 
is to be repeated every fifth year for ever. 

From the earliest periods of history, the Cornish 
have been famous for their enthusiastic fondness of the 
athletic exercises of hurling, racing, wrestling, and 
rowing, and for the pious fervour of the hymns which 
the Druids instructed them to sing round the Cromlechs 
of the departed brave. 

By establishing rewards for superiority in amuse- 
ments in which the Cornish still delight to excel, Mr. 
Knill has shewn the patriotic feelings of his local at- 
tachments ; while by the appropriate selection of the 
spot where these pastimes are to take place, he has 
given ample proof of the correctness of his taste. The 
enormous statue of Jupiter at Elis pointed out that part 
of Peloponnesus to the taste of the Greeks, as the most 
proper place for the celebration of the Olympic Games; 
and a sympathy of feeling and sentiment induced Mr. 
Knill to order that the Mausoleum, which he erected 
in the year 1782 should be the centre of the quinquen- 
nial festivities. This proud pyramid, whose base is situ- 
ated on the summit of a rock, and whose apex is 
often concealed among the clouds, has hitherto formed 
only an object of ornamental magnificence, or a guide to 
the tempest tost mariner; but henceforth it will be 
regarded as the monument of fame — the pillar of the 
west — the Cornish column ! 

Monday last was the day appointed for the first cele- 
bration. I was present at the scene, and am induced 



262 Appendix, 

to think, from this first specimen, that the rites of the 
hill will be celebrated in succeeding years with in- 
creased fervour and renewed admiration. Weak as my 
powers of description are, your readers may, perhaps, 
from the following account, conceive some idea of the 
interesting spectacle. 

Early in the morning the roads from Helston, from 
Truro, and from Penzance, were lined with horses and 
vehicles of every description. These were seen amidst 
clouds of dust, pouring down the sides of the adjacent 
mountains ; while thousands of travellers on foot chose 
the more pleasant route through the winding passages 
of the valiies. At noon the assembly was formed. The 
wrestlers entered the ring ; — the troop of virgins dress- 
ed, all in white, advanced with solemn step, which was 
regulated by the notes of harmony. The spectators 
ranged themselves along the sides of the hills which 
inclose the extensive bay, while the pyramid on the 
summit seemed pointing to the sun, who appeared in 
all the majesty of light, rejoicing at the scene. 

At length the Mayor of Saint Ives appeared in his 
robes of state. The signal was given. The flags were 
displayed in waving splendour from the towers of the 
castle. Here the wrestlers exerted their sinewy strength ; 
there the rowers, in their various dresses of blue, white, 
and red, urged the gilded prows of their boats through 
the sparkling waves of the ocean ; while the hills echoed 
to the mingled shouts of the victors, the dashing of the 
oars, the songs of the virgins, and the repeated plaudits 
of the admiring crowd, who stood so thick upon the 
crescent, which is formed by the surrounding moun- 
tains, as to appear, if I may so express myself, one 
living amphitheatre. 



Kniltian Games. £63 

The ladies and gentlemen of Penzance returned to an 
elegant dinner which they had ordered to be prepared 
at the Union Hotel ; and a splendid ball concluded the 
entertainment of the evening. The jolly god presided, 
— but a reproving smile from Venus restrained him, if 
he ventured beyond the due bounds of decorum. Hila- 
rity and beauty danced to the most delicious notes of 
harmony ; till the rosy linger of Aurora pointed to the 
hour at which the quinquennial festivities should close. 
Perhaps to many the visions of the night brought back 
the joys of the day, and the feet danced, the heart 
throbbed, and the cheek glowed, when the eye-lids 
were closed in sleep. 



A SONG, 



Written by one of the Head Poets of London for Mr. Knill's 
Games at Saint Ives. 

(To the tune of " Boys and Girls come oat to play") 

Sung at the Mausoleum, by a Minstrel adorned with Ribbons. 



Kmll commands, and all obey, 

Lads and Lasses haste away, 

Aunts and Uncles,* Maids and Wives, 

All are gay, at gay St. Ives. 

No tongue is mute or foot is still, 
But One and AU\ are on the hill, 
In chorus round the tomb of Knill. 

This you surely may rely on, 
Paul, Penzance, nor Marazion, 
Never saw in all their lives 
Such sport as now is at St. Ives. 
No tongue, &c. 

* Aunts and Uncles. A Cornish epithet indiscriminately applied 
to elderly persons. 

+ One and All is the Cornish motto. 






264 Appendix. 

Some in gigs and coaches flocking, 
Some without or shirt or stocking, 
All are crowding — not a hack 
But has three upon his back. 
No tongue, &c. 

Of Virgins pure — (let envy squint, 
And malice sneer, there's nothing in't) 
Of Virgins pure a throng advance, 
And round the tomb in circles dance. 
No tongue, &c. 

Boys on gingerbread are feeding, 
Cudgel-broken pates are bleeding ; 
Races running, Wrestlers falling, 
Bones are cracking, women squalling. 
No tongue, &c. 

Thro' the breaking wave below, 
Rowers urge the bounding prow ; 
While many a Tub and many a Ray ^ 
Sport around in finny play. 
No tongue, &c. 

All are running — what's the matter i 
Why, to see the fine Regatta. 
Earth and water, hill and bay, 
Share the frolic of the day. 
No tongue, &c. 

Oh ! it glads the heart to see e'm 
Gamble round the Mausoleum. 
All is joy : and laughter shakes 
< All the merry land of Hakes, t 
No tongue, &c. 

| Common fish at St. Ives. 
+ St. Ives abounds with a fish called a Hake. 



Knillian Games, 265 

What a pother ! what a deal is 
Talk'd about the games at Elis : 
Such as they — no not a million 
Equal what we call the Knillian. 
No tongue, &c. 

Knill commands, and all obey, 

Lads and lasses haste away, 

All the world and all his wives. 

What was Greece to gay St. Ives ! ! 
No tongue is mute, no foot is still, 
But One and All are on the hill 
In chorus round the tomb of Knill. 



An appropriate Chorus to be sung round the Tomb by the 
Virgins. 

Quit the bustle of the Bay, 
Hasten, Virgins, come away ; 
Hasten to the mountain's brow, 
Leave, oh ! leave St. Ives below ! 
Haste to breathe a purer air 
Virgins fair, and pure as fair. 
Quit St. Ives and all her treasures, 
Fly her soft voluptuous pleasures, 
Fly her sons and all the wiles, 
Lurking in their wanton smiles ; 
Fly her splendid midnight halls, 
Fly the revels of her Balls ; 
Fly, oh ! fly the chosen seat, 
Where vanity and fashion meet. 
Hither hasten ; form the ring, 
Round the tomb in chorus sing, 
And on the lofty mountain's brow 

Aptly dite, 
(Just as we should be, all in white) 
Leave all our Coivels* and our cares below. 

* See the explanation of this term at page 34. 






266 Appendix. 



A CORNISH DIALOGUE 

Between Grace Penvear and Mary Treviskey. 



Greacey. 
Fath and Trath than ! I bleeve in ten Parishes round 
Sichey Roag, sichey Vellan es nat to ba found. 

Mally. 
Whoats' tha' fussing, Un Greacey ! long wetha Cheel Vcan ? 

Greacey. 
A fussing a ketha ! oads splet 'es ould breane ! 
Our Martn's cum'd hum cheeld so drunk as a beast, 
And so cross as the Gallish from Perran-zan feaast : 
A cum'd in a tottering, cussing, and sweering 
So hard as a Stompses, and tarving and teering ! 

Mally. 
Naver meynd et un Greacey, goa, poat en to bed 
Al sleep ale tha lecker aweay froam es head. 

Greacey. 
I'd nat goa a neest en to fang tha Kings Crown, 
For a sweers ef I speek to'an al cleev ma skuel down : 
Tha navar en ale tha boarn daeys, fath and shoar, 
t)edst behould sichey Maze-gerry Pattick a foar. 

(Fuss) [a low cant word] a tumult, a bustle. Swift. 
(Un) Aunt — a title usually given to an elderly woman. 
(Vean) Cornish for little] Cheel Vean— little Child. 
(Tarving) [a cant word] struggling, convulsions, Tarvings. 
(Fang) [Saxon] to gripe, receive, &c. Shakespear. 
(Maze-gerry Pattick) a mad - brutish or frolicsome fool. 



Cornish Dialogue. 267 

Why, a scat ale to Midjaas and Jowd* for the noans, 
A clom Buzza of scale melk about on tha scoans. 
And a raak'd up a showl for to steeve ma' outright, 
But I'm run'd awaey, readdy to feyntey for freyt ! 
Loard ! tell ma uii Mally ! whaat shall Ey do by 'an ? 
For Zoundtikins Deth ! Ey'm a fear'd to cum ny'an. 

Mally. 
I know whoat Ey'd gee'an ef so bee 'twor my case, 
Ey'd scat tha ould Chacks aa'n ; Ey'd trem 'an un Grcacc. 

Greacey. 
Ey'm afeard o'my leyf to coam ny tha ould Vellan, 
Else pleas faather ! Ey bleeve Ey shu'd murely kill 'an. 
Wor ever poor creychar so baal'd and aboos'd, 
Ma heep here leyke bazzom, tha Roag have a bruis'd. 
Ey mad for 'es sopar a Muggety Pye, 
But a shaan't clunk a croom a'te Ey wish Ey meay die ! 

Mally. 
Aye ! Ey tould tha afore that tha jobb wor a done, 
That tha'd'st find out tha odds 'ate, so shoor as a gun ; 
But tha' wouds'nt hark to ma for doubting, for why 
That beshoor, that tha knowd'st 'en mooch better than Ey ; 
But Ey knaw'd tha good trem 'ane befour tha's't a got 'en ; 
Ey cou'd tell tha a mashes of stoareys about en ; 
But tha' aanserds't soa heytish and shrinkt up tha noaz : 
'A gissing 'twor greeat stromming leys Ey sopoaz ! 
But there's one of es praenks Ey shall aleweays remembar 
'Twill be three years agone coam tha eighth of Novembar, 

(Midjans and Jouds) shreds and tatters. 
(Noans) [Nonce] on purpose. 
(Clom Buzza) a coarse earthen pot. 

(Scoans) the pavement. (Showl) a shovel. (Steeve) stave. 
(Scat) to give a blow, to break. (Chacks) cheeks. 
(Murely) almost. (Baal'd) mischievously beaten. 
(Bazzom) of a blue or purple colour. 

(Muggety Pye) a pye made of shteps guts, parsley and cream, 
pepper and salt. (Clunk) swallow. (Croom) crumb, 
(Mashes) a great many, nnmber, &c. 



268 Appendix. 

Ey'd two pretty young Mabjers as eyes cu'd behould, 
So fat as tha Botar ; jest iteen wiks ould, 
Tha wor picking about in tha Tewn plaace for meat, 
Soa Ey hov downe sum Pillas amongst mun to eat : 
When who but your man comd a tott'ring along 
Soa drunk, that Ey thoft fath, ad fale in tha dung ! 
'A left tomble 'es Hoggan-bag jest by tha doar, 
Soa I caled to tha man as one wud to be shoor, 
Sez Ey, Martyn ! dust hire Cheeld ! teak up tha bag, 
" Arrea" sez a, " for whoat beest a caleing me Dog?" 
And dreev'd forth toweards ma, nar bettar nar wuss 
Nack'd the Mabjers boath steff, we a gaert mawr o' fuss ; 
Ley'k enow ef Ey hadnt shov'd haastis awaey 
A'd a done as a ded to Jan Rous t'oather daey, 
When a gote en eis tantrums, a wilfull ould Devel, 
A slam'd tha poor Soal on tha head we a Yevel ; 
Fath and Soal than un Gracey ef so bee a doent aelter 
Ey bleev e ma conshance el swing en a haelter. 

Greacey. 
When tha Leker es runn'd awaey every drap 
'Tis too late to ba thenking of plugging the Tap, 
And marridge must goa as the Loard do ordean, 
But a Passon wud swear to ba used so Cheeld Vean. 
Had Ey smilt out tha coose 'ane but neyne weeks ago 
Ey'd never a had tha ould Vellan Ey know, 



y 



(Mabjers) Mab Hens — young fowls two-thirds grown. 

(Pillas) [Pilez — Cornish] the avena nuda or naked oats of Ray; 
bald, bare or naked oats without husks. 

(Hoggan) Hogan in Cornish British signifies a Hawthorn berry ; 
also any thing mean or vile ; but here it means a Pork pasty ; and 
now indeed a Tinner's Pasty is called a Hoggan. 

(Arrea) Arria [vulg. for Ria] O strange. 

(Gaert) great, " gaert mawr o Fuss," great root of Furze. 

(Haestis) hastily. (Yevil) a Dung fork with three prongs. 

(Passon) Parson. (Coose) course or way of him. 

(Neyne weeks) — as though they had been married but nine 
weeks, whereas in the third line, she is addressed by Un Mally as 



Cornish Dialogue. 269 



s 



But a vowd and a swear'd that if Ey'd by lies weyf 
That Ey naver shud lack ale tha daeys o' ma leyf ; 
And a broft me a Nakin and Corn saave from Preen ; 
En ma conshance thoft Ey, Ey shall leve leyk a Queen. 
But 'tes plaguey provoking, od rat es ould head ! 
To be pooted and flopt soa ! Ey wish a war dead. 
Why a spent haafe es fangings laast Saterday neyt, 
Leyk enow by this teym 'tes gone every dyte. 
But Ey'll tame tha ould Devel, afor et es long, 
Ef Ey caant we ma Viestes — Ey will we ma Tongue. 

4 long wetha Cheeld vean.' This will be readily explained by 
noticing a custom very prevalent among the lower ranks of the 
county, as will appear by the following anecdote. A friend of mine 
who was one year an officer in one of the mining parishes, told me 
that of fifty-five couples married during that year, it was manifest 
by the appearance of fifty of the ladies, that they ought to have 
been married several moons before. A young man, to the honor 
of the county be it said, (even if the practice be to its disparage- 
ment) needs no compulsion to marry his lass when in this condition. 

(Nackin) Handkerchief. (Preen) Penryn. (Pooted) kicked. 

(Fangings) gettings or wages. (Viestes) Fists. 



4 270 Appendix. Cam Brch — an Ode. 



CARN BREH,+ 

AN ODE HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED, 

By Dr. WALCOT, 

BETTER KNOWN BY THE POETICAL APPELLATION OF 

PETER PINDAR* 



^~^- 



While nature slumbers in the shade, 

And Cynthia, cloth'd in paly light, 
Walks her lone way, the mount I tread, 
Majestic mid the gloom of night. 
With reverence to the lofty hill I bow, 
Where Wisdom, Virtue, taught their founts to flow. 

Wan, on yon rocks 1 aspiring steep 
Behold a Druid form, forlorn ! 
I see the white rob'd phantom weep — 
I hear to heaven his wild harp mourn. 
The temples open'd to the vulgar eye ; 
And Oaks departed, wake his inmost sigh. 

t For a description of this hill see page 208. 

* Dr. Walcot was apprenticed to his uncle, who was an 
apothecary at Fowey in Cornwall, and after having practised for 
some years in the West Indies, he settled as a Physician at Truro : 
after residing there for some time, he suddenly quitted the county, 
in consequence of a law suit in which he was engaged against the 
Corporation of Truro ; the dispute related to the right of their 
putting upon him a parish apprentice ; when he sold his effects, 
shut up his house, and informed the officers that if they were de- 
termined to carry their point, they might put the apprentice into 
the empty building, as he should never enter it again. 



Appendix. Cam Breh — an Ode, 271 

O ! lover of the twilight hour, 

That calls thee from the tombs of death, 
To haunt the cave, the time-struck tower, 
The sea-girt cliff, the stormy heath ; 
Sweet is thy minstrelsy to him whose lays 
First sung this hallow'd hill of ancient days. 

Yet not this Druid-scene alone 

Inspires the gloom-delighted muse ; 
Ah ! many a hill to fame unknown, 
With awe the tuneful wanderer views ; 
And oft while midnight lends her list'ning ear, 
Sings darkling, to the solitary sphere. 

• 
Poor Ghost ! no more the Druid band 

Shall watch, Devotion- wrapt, their fire, 
No more, high sounding thro' the land, 
To Virtue strike the plauding lyre. 
The snake along the frowning fragment creeps, 
And fox obscene beneath the shadow sleeps. 

No more beneath the golden hook 

The treasures of the grove shall fall ; 
Time triumphs o'er each vanish'd oak — 

The power whose might shall crush this ball — 
Yet, yet, till Nature droops the head to die 
Compassion grant each monument a sigh. 

The bards, in lays sublime, no more 

The warrior's glorious deeds relate ; 
Whose patriot arm a thunder bore, 
That hurl'd his country's foe to fate : 
Lo ! mute the harp near each pale Druid hung, 
Mute, like the voice that once accordant sung. 



272 Appendix. Cam Breh—an Ode. 

Save when the wandering breeze of morn, 

Or eve's wild gale with wanton wing, 
To hear the note of sorrow mourn, 
Steals to the silent sleeping string, 
And wildly brushing, wakes with sweetest swell, 
The plaintive trembling spirit of the shell. 

Here Virtue's awful voice was heard, 

That pour'd the instructive truth profound, 

Here Cornwall's sons that voice rever'd, 

Where sullen silence sleeps around. 

See where she sung, sad, melancholy, tread, 

A pensive pilgrim o'er th' unconscious dead. 

She calls on Alda's, Odred's name, 

Sons to the darken'd world of yore ! 
Lur'd by whose eagle-pinion'd fame, 
The stranger left his native shore, 
Daring, his white sail to the winds he gave, 
And sought fair knowledge o'er the distant wave. 

Tho' few these awful rocks revere, 

And temples that deserted lie, 
The muse shall ask the tenderest tear 
That ever dropt from Pity's eye, 
T' embalm the ruins that her sighs deplore, 
Where Wisdom, Virtue dwelt, but dwell no more. 



London : printed by William Phillips, 
George Yard, Lombard Street, 



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